When Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was discharged from Kozhikode Medical College hospital after testing negative for Covid-19 on Wednesday, many alleged that the Chief Minister broke the state’s Covid-19 protocol.
According to the rules of the Covid-19 protocol, any person who has tested positive must undergo a Covid-19 test after 10 days and then discharged. However, that did not happen in the Chief Minister’s case.
Vijayan announced he tested positive for Covid-19 on April 8, two days after voting in the Kerala Assembly election, and was admitted to the hospital on the same day. Vijayan and his wife, who had tested positive, were discharged on April 14. This points to the fact that the Chief Minister was discharged within seven days, which violates the Covid-19 protocol.
However, the Kozhikode Medical College (KMC) Principal MP Sasi made a confusing statement, saying that Vijayan’s tested positive on April 4. However, on that day, Vijayan was campaigning in his home constituency and interacted with media on voting day, i.e. April 6.
Sasi later clarified that Vijayan’s symptoms appeared on April 4 and tested positive on April 8. Therefore, pointing out that Vijayan completed the 10-day waiting period. He tested negative and discharged from the hospital. Sasi also informed that Vijayan was instructed to undergo home quarantine for a week.
Meanwhile, the Opposition has slammed Vijayan for allegedly breaking the Covid-19 Protocol. United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate Advocate Veena S Nair took a jibe at CPM and Vijayan for allegedly breaking Covid-19 protocol.
“Imagine that I had Covid symptoms on April 4. Imagine that I am campaigning on April 4. Imagine that on April 6, I am standing in a queue with people to cast my vote. Imagine that the protocol for conducting the Covid test was flung in the air after 10 days of being infected. Won't you break into my house, comrades,” Nair said in a Facebook post.
Former Minister Shibu Baby John also slammed Vijayan over allegedly breaking protocol in a Facebook post. He said that when Kerala is under a virus crisis, the Chief Minister is choosing to lead by violating the Covid-19 protocol instead. Shibu also brought up the case of the Italian expatriate family, who suffered humiliation and criticism for spreading the pandemic in the state. He also attacked the Chief Minister for coming down heavily on a Congress leader for not following Covid-19 protocol last year.
Meanwhile, Health Minister KK Shailaja has responded to the allegation against the CM, saying that he did not violate any protocol. “After discharge, the Chief Minister continue to quarantine at home. He has not left the hospital to attend public functions. People are trying to create unnecessary controversy,” she said.
