Break The Chain: Kerala launches mass handwashing campaign

mangaloretoday.com/Indiatoday

Thiruvananthapuram, March 15, 2020: Kerala launched washing the hand mass campaign to ’break the chain’ of Covid-19 infection gripping the state. Health Minister KK Shailaja Teacher inaugurated the mass campaign to sensitize the public about the importance of public and personal hygiene in the wake of Covid-19 outbreak.

The state reported two more positive coronavirus cases on Sunday including a UK national who was on a visit to Kerala. With two more positive cases, Kerala now has 21 positive cases undergoing treatment for Covid-19 symptoms.

While launching the campaign, Kerala Health Minister Shailaja Teacher stressed the importance of keeping personal hygiene to protect the self and the community from Covid-19 infection.

"We are able to minimise the spread of the deadly virus with early surveillance and people’s support. Now we need to follow personal hygiene as a healthy habit and wash our hands and face whenever we are in public contact. By doing it, we will be able to break the chain of virus infection," Teacher said while washing her hand with an alcoholic hand rub solution.

The Kerala government has appealed all to promote ’break the chain’ campaign as a safety measure.

Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan held a review meeting with senior officials and decided to step up surveillance in tourist destinations after a tourist from the UK tested positive. The health department closed down the tourism department-owned Tea County resort in Munnar where the tourist had stayed and directed the employees to remain home quarantined.

Another doctor who had gone for a seminar in the UK too tested positive today. Kerala’s vulnerability to Covid-19 infection increased as more countries reported virus infection during the past 10 days. The state decided to monitor movements of foreign tourists within the state without causing inconvenience to them.