Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala's COVID-19 case count reached 1,54,456 on Thursday, with the state reporting 6,324 fresh cases. This is the highest single-day count ever reported in the state. The state also registered 3,168 recoveries in the last 24 hours.
The state reported its first COVID-19 case on January 30, 2020. On August 19 (202nd day from the first case), the total caseload crossed 50,000-mark. In next 22 days, the state reported another 50,000 cases, taking the total tally to 1,02,254 (Sept 11). Today (Sept 24), the state crossed 1.5 lakh-mark.
So far, 1,07,850 people recovered from the disease, while 45,919 patients are still under treatment in various hospitals across the state, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan informed.
Local transmission of COVID-19 continues unabated as 5,321 of the newly reported cases contracted the virus through contact. Of this, the infection sources of 628 are unknown.
Apart from this, 105 healthcare workers (28 from Thiruvananthapuram, 19 from Kannur, 13 from Kasaragod, nine from Malappuram, eight from Thrissur, seven each from Kozhikode and Ernakulam, six from Pathanamthitta, four from Wayanad, two from Alappuzha, one each from Kollam and Palakkad) also contracted the virus.
The state also reported 21 deaths on Thursday, taking the total number of fatalities to 613.
Of the 6,324 cases reported on Thursday, 44 people came from abroad, while 226 came from other states.
District-wise break-up of today's positive cases:
Kozhikode – 883 (contact cases – 849)
Thiruvananthapuram – 875 (842)
Malappuram – 763 (741)
Ernakulam – 590 (569)
Thrissur – 474 (465)
Alappuzha – 453 (407)
Kollam – 440 (436)
Kannur – 406 (352)
Palakkad – 353 (340)
Kottayam – 341 (338)
Kasaragod – 300 (270)
Pathanamthitta – 189 (144)
Idukki – 151 (102)
Wayanad – 106 (94)
District-wise break-up of recoveries:
Malappuram – 513
Kannur – 431
Thrissur – 327
Kozhikode - 308
Thiruvananthapuram – 296
Ernakulam – 248
Kollam – 195
Alappuzha – 183
Kasaragod – 158
Kottayam – 130
Palakkad - 114
Pathanamthitta – 99
Idukki – 61
Wayanad – 105
Testing and quarantine
In the last 24 hours, 54,989 samples have been tested, a health department statement said on Thursday.
In total, 26,00,359 samples (including routine, airport surveillance, pooled sentinel, CBNAAT, TrueNAT, CLIA and antigen assay) were sent for testing. As many as 1,99,390 samples also collected as part of sentinel surveillance.
Of the 2,12,318 people under observation for suspected infection, 1,85,198 are home/institutional quarantined and 27,120 hospitalised. As many as 3,341 people were hospitalised since Sunday.
22 new places were designated as hotspots on Thursday, while eight regions were excluded from the list. The state presently has 654 hotspots.
Key points from CM's press meet:
• Most cases were confirmed in Kozhikode today - 883. Of them, 820 contracted the virus through contact.
• Virus spread remains unchanged in Thiruvananthapuram with 875 cases being reported today. Everyday over 100 cases without known sources are reported.
• Coastal area in the district has been exempted from containment zones' list. Areas where the spread is severe are designated as micro containment zones.
• In Kottayam, 45 ventillatos have been arranged in government-run hospitals other than medical college.
• KSU state president K M Abhijith has been booked by the Pothencode police for allegedly hiding identity while giving details for COVID tests. FIR has been registered on the basis of Pothencode panchayat president.
• CM slams opposition parties for staging protests violating COVID protocol.
• 78 children below 15-years tested positive in last 24 hours.
Medical devices park's construction inaugurated
The construction of a medical devices park with the aim of exploring the industrial opportunities in the post-COVID world was inaugurated on Thursday.
The park will come up at a nine-acre plot on the campus of the life sciences park at Thonnackal. The construction will be finished at a cost of Rs 230 crore.
State government will spend Rs 150 crore and the remaining Rs 80 crore will be borne by the Centre. It is a joint venture of the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology and the State Industrial Development Corporation.
