Ninety-seven people tested positive for coronavirus and 89 patients recovered from the disease in Kerala on Thursday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan informed during his press conference at Thiruvananthapuram. Kerala reported one more death due to COVID-19 on Thursday, taking the toll to 22.
The deceased, Sunil Padiyur, a 28-year-old- driver with the Kerala State Excise Department, was under treatment at the Government Medical College in Pariyaram, Kannur.
The total number of cases reported from Kerala has gone up to 2,794. There are 1,358 active cases in the state and 1,413 people have been cured of the disease.
Of the positive cases today, three had contracted the disease through contact. While 65 came from abroad, 29 came from neighbouring states.
Among those who returned from other states 12 were from Maharashtra, seven from Delhi, five from Tamil Nadu, one in Odisha and two each from Gujarat and Haryana.
Here's the district-wise breakup of today's positive cases:
Palakkad 14
Kollam 13
Kottayam 11
Pathanamthitta 11
Alappuzha 9
Ernakulam 6
Thrissur 6
Idukki 6
Thiruvananthapuram 5
Kozhikode 5
Malappuram 4
Kannur 4
Kasaragod 3
District-wise breakup of today's recoveries:
Thrissur – 22
Palakkad – 11
Kasaragod – 11
Alappuzha – 10
Thiruvananthapuram – 9
Kollam – 8
Kannur – 4
Ernakulam – 4
Pathanamthitta – 3
Kottayam – 2
Malappuram – 2
Wayanad – 2
Kozhikode – 1
Most of the cases on Thursday were reported from Palakkad. All the 14 cases reported from there are returnees from abroad or other states. Three came from Abudhabi, two each from Saudi and Dubai and one each from Kuwait and Qatar. Those from other states include two each from Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra and one from Delhi.
There are 127 active cases under treatment in the district. Apart from these, 11 natives of Palakkad have been admitted to hospitals in Malappuram, Kannur, Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram.
Neighbouring districts of Kottayam and Pathanamthitta reported 11 cases each. Of those tested positive in Kottayam, six are returnees from abroad and five from other states. Only five of them had symptoms. The patients include a 32-year-old pregnant woman from Thrikodithanam near Changanassery.
Those tested positive in Pathanamthitta include two kids aged one and eight.
Of the nine new cases in Alappuzha, eight came from other states, mostly Maharashtra, and one from Kuwait. The patients include, a Pattanakad native and his daughter, a Mavelikkara native and her son, and an 83-year-old native of Thakazhi and his wife.
Four returnees from abroad and two from Gujarat tested positive in Thrissur.
Six more cases were reported in Ernakulam. Five of them are returnees from abroad while a civil police officer contracted the virus through contact. An officer posted at Kalamassery station, the 32-year-old man had served at COVID care centres. His contact list was being prepared.
All the six new cases in Idukki are returnees from abroad or other states.
Key points from CM's press meet:
• Many found flouting social distancing norms and coronavirus guidelines issues by the government.
• CM urged people to stick to the safety guidelines.
• Meetings at offices should be conducted online.
• Govt is in talks with Ministry of External Affairs and airline companies to make True NAAT tests available for NRKs wishing to come home. Tests are presently available in UAE and Qatar.
• Those in the frontline of the fight against COVID-19 should not come in contact with their family or friends.
• At a time, government offices to have 50% employees.
• Those below 45-years of age, who are presently in health service, will be given special training.
• Unemployed healthcare workers, medical students, retired professionals will be brought in for frontline works.
As many as 1,69,035 samples have been tested so far and 3,194 results are pending. Police on Thursday registered cases against 18 people for breaking quarantine and over 3,000 people were booked for not wearing masks in public places.
Presently, 1,26,839 people are under quarantine. Of this, 1,967 are at various hospitals.
21st COVID death
Sunil, who hails from Blathur in Kannur, had been on duty till June 12 with the Mattannur Excise office. He was admitted to a private hospital in Kannur on June 12 with fever and breathlessness. He tested positive for COVID-19 later.
He was diagnosed with pneumonia then and was shifted to the Medical College hospital on June 14 as his health deteriorated.
Attempts are on to trace the source of his infection.
Sunil had visited the Kannur District Hospital on on June 3 along with a person arrested by the department for the latter's mandatory COVID-19 test. He then accompanied the arrested to the government quarantine facility in Thottada.
COVID deaths in Kerala:
S Rameshan (67, Vanchiyoor, Thiruvananthapuram), Hussain (77, Irikkur, Kannur), P K Mohammed (70, Iritty, Kannur), Dinny Chacko (43, Chalakkudy, Thrissur), Kumaran (87, Engandiyoor, Thrissur), E Hamza Koy (61, Malappuram; former Santosh Trophy footballer), Shabnas (Edappal in Malappuram), Xavier (Kavanad, Kollam), Meenakshi Ammal (73, Palakkad), Father K G Varghese (77, Nalanchira, Thiruvananthapuram), Sulaikha (56, Kozhikode), Jose Joy (38, Pandanad, Chengannur), Joshy (68, Thiruvalla), Telangana native, Asiya (62, Kozhikode), Amina (52, Wayanad), Khadeejakkutty (73, Thrissur), Yakub Husain Sait (69, Ernakulam), Abdul Azeez (68, Thiruvananthapuram), Mehroof (67, Mahe, UT of Puducherry; died at Government Medical College in Pariyaram, Kannur) and four-month-old baby (Malappuram).
Note: Though Mehraoof hailed from the Union Territory of Puducherry, his death has been included in Kerala's list based on a union government guideline, which stated that deaths should be accounted where it occurs irrespective of which state the person hailed from.
