Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya arrives in Kerala to review COVID-19 situation

PTI, Aug 16, 2021, 1:08 PM IST

A central team led by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya arrived in Kerala on Monday to review the COVID-19 situation in the state which is presently accounting for more than half of the nation’s daily fresh infection caseload.

Kerala on Sunday reported 18,582 new COVID-19 cases which was more than half of the national total of 32,937 fresh coronavirus cases.

On Sunday, the test positivity rate was 15.11 per cent in the southern state.

A Thiruvananthapuram Airport official confirmed that the Union minister landed and has left the airport.

According to his itinerary, Mandaviya is expected to meet Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and state Health Minister Veena George and other officials involved in COVID management in the state in the afternoon.

Subsequently, he is scheduled to visit the Hindustan Latex Ltd (HLL) office in Thiruvananthapuram as well as the government medical college and hospital in the state capital before returning to Delhi later in the evening.

Mandaviya is accompanied by the Director of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and other senior officials of the health ministry.