Poonthura, located in the coastal region of Kerala’s capital where a ‘superspread’ of around 200 COVID-19 cases have been reported, witnessed tense scenes on Friday morning following a protest by local people without following social distancing norms. Health workers also bore the brunt of the protest as their vehicles were blocked and had to face angry outbursts from the protesters.

The protest, fuelled partly by lack of access to essential items and partly by false rumours regarding testing, led Kerala Health Minister K.K.Shailaja to make an emotional appeal not to mislead the public and worsen an already precarious situation. The district administration also eased some of the restrictions and promised to run mobile units of the Supplyco and Consumerfed, as well as mobile ATMs in the affected wards.

According to sources, there was a rumour among the local population that the State government has been reporting a larger number of cases in Poonthura than actually exists. Many believe that the rapid antigen tests are not accurate and even people with mild symptoms are testing positive. The reporting of cases from the adjacent Manikyavilakam and Puthenpallly wards under Poonthura’s name, as it belongs to the same cluster of virus spread, has also led to much anger among the people.

On Friday morning, a vehicle carrying health workers to one of the test centres was stopped on the way by protesters.

“ Our team’s vehicle was heading to the test centre when a group surrounded the vehicle and began shouting at us. They were angry that Poonthura is being unfairly branded due to the bunching of cases from adjacent wards under their name. It was an ordeal for us for sometime, before we managed to reach the hospital,” said one of the health workers.

The people from the area have also been facing a shortage of essential items, as only a few shops are functioning and the shops from adjacent areas were not keen on them visiting.

Following the incident, Ms.Shailaja, in a live video on Facebook, said that those instigating the people based on rumours are jeopardising the State’s united fight against COVID-19 and also pushing them to death.

“Since July 6, we have conducted 1,192 tests in Poonthura alone, of which 243 were found to be positive. The three wards have a total of 31,985 people, out of which 5,611 are old persons and 2,250 are children below the age of 5. The area also has 184 persons under palliative care. It is in such an area, with a high risk of virus spread, that such protests are being instigated. We are not sure who is behind this, but whoever that might be, this is not the time for such attempts. You are putting the lives of people in danger. The Health Department has opened ten help desks which can be contacted to clear any doubts,” said Ms. Shailaja.

A meeting was held in the afternoon with local people, church representatives, police authorities and district administration officials in attendance. According to Father Bevinson, Vicar of the Poonthura Church, demands were raised for the declaration of results from each ward separately, as well as to take steps to make available essential items.

Later, Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran, in charge of the district, announced easing of some of the restrictions. He said that mobile units of the Supplyco and Consumerfed will travel around the wards to provide essential items at affordable rates. The local population will be allowed to carry out fishing for their own needs.

“They can sell the fish locally, and the rest will be procured by the Matsyafed. No auctioning will be allowed, nor can fish be brought from outside,” Mr.Surendran said.