Kerala's daily COVID-19 case count stayed above 1,900 for five days in a row with 1,908 new infections being reported on Sunday.
The state also recorded 1,110 recoveries on the day, according to an evening update from the Health Ministry.
Thiruvananthapuram topped the list yet again with 397 new cases.
Of the new cases, 1,718 contracted the disease through contact. The sources of infection of 160 of them are yet to be traced.
Among the remaining cases, 35 have come from abroad while 105 have come from other states.
Fifty health workers too tested positive for the infection on Sunday. They include 17 from Thiruvananthapuram, 9 from Ernakulam, 7 from Malappuram, 6 from Kozhikode, 5 from Kannur, and 3 each from Kollam and Thrissur districts.
The state has reported 58,262 COVID-19 cases so far, out of which 37,649 persons recovered. The remaining 20,330 patients are being treated in various hospitals.
The daily case count crossed 2,000-mark for the first time on August 19, Wednesday, with 2,333 infections. The daily case count stayed above 1,900 in the next two days with 1,968 cases being reported on Thursday, 1,983 on Friday, and 2,172 on Saturday.
From when the first case was confirmed in the state on January 30, 2020, it took 168 days, or five-and-a-half months to reach the 10k-mark on July 16. However, it took only 12 more days to cross the 20,000 tally. The numbers soared past the 50k-mark in the next 22 days.
Five COVID deaths were confirmed in the state taking the official death toll to 223. They are Sisupalan (80) from Gandhipuram in Thiruvananthapuram; Shanavas (49) from Poojappura in Thiruvananthapuram; Damodaran (80) from Edavarad in Kozhikode; Dinamani (75) from Anchal in Kollam; and Robert (75) from Chettikadu in Alappuzha who died on August 14. This brings the total COVID deaths in the state to 223. Though more deaths were reported across the state, the state is yet to ascertain them as COVID deaths. Tests are underway at NIV in Alappuzha.
Here's the district-wise break-up of today's cases:
Thiruvananthapuram - 397 (contact cases - 367)
Alappuzha - 241 (223)
Ernakulam - 200 (178)
Malappuram - 186 (171)
Kannur - 143 (120)
Kollam - 133 (122)
Kozhikode - 119 (104)
Thrissur - 116 (107)
Kottaym - 106 (95)
Pathanamthitta - 104 (103)
Kasaragod - 85 (83)
Palakkad - 39 (31)
Idukki - 29 (11)
Wayanad - 10 (3)
District-wise break-up of today's recoveries:
Thiruvananthapuram - 125
Kollam - 22
Pathanamthitta - 45
Alappuzha - 53
Kottayam - 72
Idukki - 19
Ernakulam - 171
Thrissur - 70
Palakkad - 250
Malappuram - 100
Kozhikode - 12
Wayanad - 39
Kannur - 88
Kasaragod - 44+
Thiruvananthapuram recorded the most number of COVID cases on Sunday as well with 397 people testing positive. Of them, 365 are cases through local transmission. Ten people have tested positive in the Neyyattinkara sub jail alone.
Alappuzha saw its highest single-day spike in cases as 241 people tested positive in the coastal district. Of them, 223 are contact cases. Most of the contact cases were detected in Punnapra North -- 26. Twenty cases were reported in Ambalappuzha.
Ernakulam reported 200 cases, apparently for the first time. Of them, 186 are contact cases. They include 11 Bihar natives who work at Kalamassery. Thirty-three residents of Don Bosco Boys' Home at Palluruthy tested positive on Sunday. There are eight healthcare workers among the cases.
Of the 186 cases in Malappuram, 178 are contact cases. They include 21 cases without identified source of infection and seven healthcare workers.
Of the 143 cases in Kannur, 111 contracted the disease through contact. There are seven healthcare workers among those tested positive.
Kozhikode reported 119 cases. Of them, 105 are contact cases. The contact cases include 12 cases without identified source of infection. The cases include 13 healthcare workers.
Of the 116 cases in Thrissur, 110 contracted the virus through local transmission. Source is not known in 18 cases. Three healthcare workers have also tested positive.
Kottayam and Pathanamthitta also recorded over 100 cases. Of the 106 cases in Kottayam, 103 are contact cases. Three healthcare workers of Kottayam Medical College Hospital are among those tested positive.
Of the 104 cases in Pathanamthitta, 93 contracted the disease through contact. Nineteen cases were reported in Nellad cluster.
Contact cases in other districts:
Kasaragod - 83
Palakkad - 29
Idukki - 11
Wayanad - 3
Testing and quarantine
There are over 1,82,525 people currently under observation across the state. Of them, 1,65,996 are under home/institutional quarantine while 16,529 are in hospitals. A total of 2,066 were admitted in hospitals today.
Testing has been ramped up in the state. Over 36,300 samples were tested in the last 24 hours. So far, 14,22,558 samples were tested. In addition, as part of Sentinel Surveillance, another 1,63,554 samples were tested from priority groups.
Twenty-three new regions have been designated as hotspots in the state on Sunday. There are currently 622 hotspots in the state.
