The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has appealed to the State government not to allow the opening of places of religious worship and malls as congregation of people in large numbers is a sure way of amplifying COVID-19 transmission.

In a letter sent to the government, IMA pointed out that world over, COVID-19 transmission has been found to have been intensified whenever people congregated in large numbers without maintaining the caution of physical distancing.

Taken lightly

Lockdown restrictions were eased to allow people to resume their daily life and livelihood activities. However, ever since the norms were relaxed, people had been found to be gathering in various places, without even wearing masks, as though the threat of the pandemic passed. At a time when local transmission of the virus is found to be increasing in the State, as evidenced by the increase in the number of cases wherein disease has been contracted through “contact” with unknown sources of infection, one should rightfully suspect that community transmission is already on in Kerala.

Warning

In such a situation, opening up malls and religious places of worship to people will surely result in these places becoming epicentres of disease transmission in the State, IMA warned.

A situation wherein hospitals are overflowing with the patients, as is happening in the rest of the country now, is not something Kerala’s health system can afford to have.

The government should thus delay the opening of malls and places of worship, IMA appealed to the government.