Kerala's Covid death data among most accurate, CRS figures show

State had one of smallest discrepancies between reported deaths & actual excess fatalities

- ANNA JOSE @ Kochi

AMID PERSISTENT allegations that Kerala under-reported its Covid-19 death toll, new data from the Civil Registration System (CRS) has reinforced the state's pandemic-reporting credibility. Figures reveal that Kerala had one of the smallest discrepancies between officially reported Covid deaths and actual excess fatalities.

According to the CRS, Kerala recorded 68,981 excess deaths during the pandemic, while the state officially reported 44,235 deaths -- a difference far narrower than in several other states. In contrast, Gujarat recorded 2,63,253 excess deaths against an official toll of just 5,816. Similarly, Madhya Pradesh has also posted a significant gap.

"The report shows the fact that our state has not reported pandemic-related deaths other than the excess deaths caused by direct infection. The report also tells the world that ours is one of the societies that has most effectively dealt with the Covid pandemic," Health and Family Welfare Minister Veena George wrote on Facebook.