64,000 kg of decayed fish seized
CHIEF MINISTER has directed officials to adopt stringent measures to check the supply and sale of contaminated fish.
DECAYED FISH is coming in from neighbouring states, particularly TN.
Decayed, contaminated and formalin laced fish continues to be supplied and sold in Kerala despite lockdown with officials seizing 25,000 kg in Kochi on Wednesday.
The food safety and health officials have seized 64,000 kg of contaminated fish during joint raids in the last two days. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister has directed officials to adopt stringent measures to check the supply and sale of contaminated fish. He lauded the efforts of the food safety officials and health officials to check the supply of contaminated fish.
The decayed fish is coming in from neighbouring states particularly Tamil Nadu. In many cases fish preserved for nearly two months using toxic chemicals, fish with maggots is being brought into the state. Due to lockdown fishermen are not able to venture into the sea and the demand for fish in Kerala is very high.
Over 2,000 kg of decayed fish was seized from Attingal on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram. In Alappuzha nearly 1,500 kg of contaminated fish was taken into custody and cases registered. The seized fish was destroyed by the officials.
Meanwhile, after the Supreme Court directive, the Kerala–Karnataka border was opened for the first time since the lockdown for permitting patients requiring treatment in Mangaluru hospitals.
A patient who had a problem of blood clot in brain, was allowed to be shifted to Mangalore after producing relevant medical certificates and referral letter. Only persons without suspected Covid infection are being allowed to seek treatment in Mangaluru. They have to comply with 10 conditions including referral letters, certificates from doctors that the treatment of their aliment is not available in Kasargod or Kannur districts, they were not under quarantine for Covid–19.
Nearly 10 persons had succumbed to their ailments during the past 10 days because of denial of treatment in Mangaluru hospitals. The Karnataka authorities had dumped mud on the highway to block traffic leading to widespread protests from people in Kasargod district.
With discussions between the two states failing to reach a solution, a bunch of petitions were filed in Supreme Court seeking intervention to lift the blockade.
In a separate incident, a woman who was under treatment in Mangaluru alleged that she was denied continuation in treatment by doctors at a hospital. Following her complaint to the Chief Minister, arrangements were made for admitting her to a hospital in Kerala.
Kerala continues to witness a significant decline in confirmed cases of Covid–19 with just nine positive cases being reported on Wednesday.
The number of infected persons who were tested negative stood at 13, higher than the positive cases which health officials say is a significant trend.
Of the reported cases, four are from Kannur, two from Alapuzha and one each from Pathanamthitta, Thrisur and Kasargod districts respectively. Four came from abroad, two contracted the infection in Nizamuddin meet and three through contact.