IMA Demands Kerala To Withdraw Lockdown Relaxation For Bakrid, Warns Of Taking Matter To Supreme Court

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has strongly criticised the decision of CPM led Kerala state government to relax lockdown restrictions for the Bakrid festival.

IMA said that while many northern states like Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand have stopped the traditional and popular pilgrimage yatras, the ‘learned’ state Kerala had taken these retrograde decisions.

The medical association demanded the Kerala state government withdraw its order immediately and enforce zero-tolerance against appropriate covid behaviours. Otherwise, IMA said it would be compelled to knock the pedestals of the Supreme Court.

“With the dedicated and committed services of the Government and the Modern medical fraternity, today we are in the declining phase of the second wave throughout the country, except in few states like Kerala and Maharashtra where we are still having the high number of cases,” IMA said.

Though Kerala logged 16,148 new Covid-19 cases and 114 deaths on Saturday (17 July), the highest in a month, the CPM-led state government has decided to relax lockdown restrictions for three days from Sunday because of the Bakrid festival.

Bakrid will be celebrated across Kerala on Wednesday.

The decision to allow the functioning of shops was taken during a meeting convened by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan with a delegation of Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi (KVVES) led by their leader T Naseeruddin.

Kerala has the highest caseload in the country, accounting for around 40 per cent of the total national caseload. The state’s test positivity remains alarmingly high at 10.76 per cent, while the national average is below three per cent. The state’s weekly average was above 14,000 cases with 10 per cent TPR. Two districts, Malappuram and Kozhikode, reported more than 2,000 cases on Saturday (17 July).