Minister for Health K. K. Shylaja said on Thursday that the death rate in the State owing to the COVID-19 pandemic may go up with further relaxations coming into effect from September 21 onwards.

The number of positive cases and death rate are likely to go up in view of the relaxations. But we are trying our best to check the spike in death rate and positive cases, she said at the inauguration of various developmental projects at the Govt. Medical College, Ernakulam.

Stating that Kerala figured among the States having the least mortality rate along with Assam, Ms. Shylaja said that the death rate was limited below 500 owing to the various steps taken to limit the spread of the disease.

But we may soon face shortage of ventilators. There is a shortage of ventilators world-wide. Even though we have booked ventilators through the Kerala Medical Services Corporation Ltd, the supplies are limited to 10 to 20 ventilators at a time," she said.

The Minister urged the health workers and elected representatives to ensure that no patient is left unattended. They should be treated at COVID hospitals and first line treatment centres. The elected representatives in Ernakulam have to intervene to check the spread of the disease in colonies across the district. They could seek the cooperation of the residents' associations and help in bringing symptomatic patients to the healthcare facilities, she said.