Health minister Mandaviya speaks to Kerala CM over Covid situation

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday spoke to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over rising coronavirus cases in the state and sought his cooperation in managing the situation.

Kerala has been witnessing a surge in the cases, with 49.85 per cent of the total COVID-19 cases in the country being reported from the southern state.

"The Central Government's team headed by NCDC has returned from Kerala & submitted its report. I have spoken with the Chief Minister of Kerala, @VijayanPinarayi ji, over the phone and discussed the matter of the rising #COVID19 cases in the State," Mandaviya tweeted.

"I have also written a letter to CM Vijayan Pinarayi ji for taking more proactive measures and precautions to control the ongoing situation in Kerala. I have sought the State's cooperation in managing the situation and have assured Central Government's complete support," he said in another tweet.

The Centre had sent a six-member team to Kerala and it had shared some of the observations with the state on the overall management of the situation.

Kerala had on Tuesday reported 23,676 fresh COVID cases, pushing the total infection count to 34.49 lakh, with the number of people succumbing to the virus touched 17,103 after 148 additional deaths, officials said.