Kerala reported more than half of India's total new Covid-19 cases on Sunday

With Kerala continuing to report a high number of Covid-19 cases, the state has been allocated ₹267.35 crore to strengthen its health infrastructure so that it can manage the pandemic more effectively.

The amount has been allocated by the central government under the Emergency COVID Response Package- II.

In addition to this, ₹1 crore will be made available for each district in Kerala to create a medicine pool, the Union Health Ministry announced on Monday.

The decision was during a meeting Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and state Health Minister Veena George.

Discussions during the meeting, held Mandaviya's visit to review the Covid-19 situation in the state, included the creation of a Center of Excellence that caters to Telemedicine Facilities in every district in Kerala. This will be done with the support of the Union Government of India.

Paediatric ICUs along with 10 kilo-litre liquid oxygen storage tank facility also need to be set up at every district hospital which will prioritise the health of children in the pandemic, it was decided.

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

Equally worrying is the state's high test positivity rate, which was over 15 per cent on Sunday.