Coronavirus outbreak: How state governments in India are fighting to curb the spread of COVID-19

New Delhi, Apr 13: While the Union Health Ministry on Monday said that death toll due to the novel coronavirus pandemic has increased to 308, the number of cases climbed to 9,152. However, if India had delayed in taking extra precautions, the total number of positive cases would have multiplied.

There are several unsung heroes during this pandemic situation in India. Taking Kerala into consideration, the positive cases in the state has started flattening. State Health Minister K K Shailaja, who earned people's trust when Kerala successfully managed to contain the Nipah outbreak in 2018, was well aware of the situation, and got into action.

In Kerala, a COVID control room was put in place, six days before the first case was reported in the state on January 30. Health Minister Shailaja, who consults several experts before making a crucial decision, managed to keep her team one step ahead of the virus. This made Kerala a model for other states to follow.

In Telangana, Information Technology Minister K T Rama Rao is seen leading the war against the pandemic outbreak in the state. In an attempt to avoid the blow to the economy, the IT Minister had held talks with the industry leaders and urged them not to sack their employees.

Extremely active on social media, K T Rama Rao has contributed in creating awareness on the coronavirus on several occasions. With famished migrants housed in camps, KTR has visited several of them and ensured they are well fed regularly.

Odisha, with 41 active cases and just one fatality, has so far been able to contain the spread of coronavirus by its proactive measures. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's trusted aide and private secretary V Karthikeyan Pandian played a major role in containing the deadly virus from spreading across the state.

Since January, the state government was seen moving stock essentials, procuring equipment and establishing dedicated hospitals with required infrastructure. This move by the state government was able to read the situation and strategise to the pandemic accordingly.