Given the sharp rise in COVID-19 cases in the State, election officials are pulling out all stops to ensure that the pandemic does not impede the May 2 counting of votes polled in the Assembly elections.
Officials listed for counting duty testing positive for the virus or being identified as a primary contact have emerged a concern, as counting day is just a week away and the daily caseload persists above the 20,000 mark.
In Thiruvananthapuram district, for instance, a Central government institution has approached the District Collector seeking the withdrawal of its staff who have tested positive or been prescribed quarantine from the poll-related assignment.
Election officials said adequate reserve staff, 10% or above wherever necessary, have been identified to deal with such an eventuality. The training sessions for the counting officials are in progress in the State. “We are keeping reserve counting staff so that even if somebody falls ill, we will have people on standby. The District Election Officers/District Collectors have been asked to identify reserve personnel in sufficient numbers,” a senior election official said.
Fewer tables in a hall
Given the COVID-19 scenario, the Election Commission of India had asked the States to reduce the number of tables in each counting hall from 14 to seven. Such an arrangement would require three to four halls for each Assembly segment, the official said.
Kerala has witnessed a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases after the April 6 Assembly polls. From less than 3,000 cases in the beginning of April, the daily caseload in the State has jumped to over 20,000. In the past week alone, the State has reported 1.56 lakh new cases.
