Thiruvananthapuram: Monday turned out to be another big day in Kerala's fight against COVID-19 as all the results declared today returned negative.
On Sunday too, all the tests returned negative.
The non-emergence of fresh cases in the last 48 hours will boost state's continuing efforts to flatten the COVID-19 curve.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram that 61 persons were cured of the disease on Monday. With this, only 34 persons remain in various hospitals in the state.
Of the recovered, 19 are from Kannur district, 12 from Kottayam, 11 from Idukki, nine from Kollam, four from Kozhikode and two each from Kasaragod and Thiruvananthapuram.
Thriuvananthapuram, Kozhikode and Malappuram thus became free of any active COVID-19 patients.
Kerala has so far recorded 499 COVID-19 cases of which 462 have been recovered.
Vijayan said 21,724 persons are under observation across the state with 213,52 at home and 372 in hospitals.
The state has tested 33,010 samples so far of which 32,315 returned negative.
Important announcements from chief minister's press meet:
• 1,66,263 Keralites from other Indian states evinced interest in coming back home. Karnataka tops the list. The government has initiated plans to bring them back.
• At present Kerala has 84 hotspots, no new hotspots identified on Monday.
• 28,272 persons applied for passes to come back home from other states. 5,470 passes have been distributed so far.
• 515 Keralites came back to state till Monday afternoon.
• 13,518 inter-state migrant labourers returned home till Monday.
• Kerala has arranged special trains for inter-state migrant labourers. These trains should be used to bring back Keralites stranded in other parts of India. A letter has been sent to the prime minister with this demand.
• Those who wish to bring back stranded parents and children from other states should get consent letters from the respective state governments and Collectors of their home districts.
• Those who are stranded in various districts in Kerala may avail travel passes from their nearest police stations to go back home.
• Plenty of Keralites have been diagnosed with COVID-19 all over the world and it is a worrying scene.
• All automobile workshops and vehicle showrooms in the state can open, barring those in containment zones.
• Half-day exemptions for restaurants from the mandatory Sunday lockdown. These shops can offer parcel services in the afternoon.
• Roads will be closed only in containment zones. Roads in other zones will remain open. Vehicles will be allowed in these zone subject to conditions.
• Free mobile SIM cards will be given to to people coming from abroad.
• The government will issue licence to all entrepreneurs who wish to set up industries in a week.
