Amid the nationwide lockdown, in view of the COVID-19 pandemic football star CK Vineeth has stepped ahead to help people in his hometown Kannur, Kerala, by volunteering to join a government helpline centre.
Vineeth was contacted by the Kerala Sports Council about the helpline and was quick to say yes to the initiative.
“After I came back here, I got a call from the Kerala Sports Council, asking whether I would like to help with the COVID-19 helpline, so I joined in,” Vineeth told the official portal of All India Football Federation.
“Whatever little I could do to help during an emergency,” he said.
“The plan is that we would continue this help-line till the dangers of the Coronavirus are averted, and the lockdown comes to an end. The situation in Kerala is much-improved now, of course,” the forward added.
“Of course, we are following the guidelines prescribed by the Government, while commuting to and from the call-centre,” said Vineeth.
“We are provided with gloves, masks, and sanitisers, which we use quite often. But those of us working here are not exactly exposed. We all just go home, and come here,” he added.
The winger who plays for the Jamshedpur FC in the Indian Super League feels that the curve has definitely flattened in Kerala as the number of COVID-19 cases in the state is declining gradually with the passage of time.
“Before, we used to get over 150 calls per day. Now, that number has gone down a lot. The number of cases are also going down in the state. We just need to stay strong and wade through these troubled times,” Vineeth quipped.
“I would like to urge everyone to stay at home and follow the Government’s guidelines. It’s a good time to spend with your family. Stay safe people, and take care,” he concluded.