Kerala reported 5,420 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday from 59,983 samples tested, taking the test positivity rate to 9.04 in the state, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan informed during his sunset briefing.
With this, the number of active cases in the state reached 64,412.
Of the new cases, 4,693 had contracted the virus through contact while 83 had come from outside the state. Among the contact cases, the source of infection of 592 is yet to be traced.
Kerala has so far recorded 5,71,872 COVID-19 cases.
Here's the break-up of today's positive cases:
Malappuram - 852 (contact cases - 796)
Ernakulam - 570 (447)
Thrissur - 556 (542)
Kozhikode - 541 (487)
Kollam - 462 (459)
Kottayam - 461 (459)
Palakkad - 453 (234)
Alappuzha - 390 (372)
Thiruvananthapuram - 350 (265)
Kannur - 264 (209)
Pathanamthitta - 197 (145)
Idukki - 122 (93)
Wayanad - 103 (92)
Kasaragod - 99 (93)
Recoveries
Kerala reported 5,149 recoveries on Tuesday. With this, 5,05,238 have been cured of the virus in the state.
Here's the break-up of today's recoveries:
Thiruvananthapuram - 441
Kollam - 97
Pathanamthitta - 100
Alappuzha - 254
Kottayam - 463
Idukki - 49
Ernakulam - 450
Thrissur - 924
Palakkad - 443
Malappuram - 617
Kozhikode - 782
Wayanad - 111
Kannur - 317
Kasaragod - 101
Key points from CM's press meet
• Restaurants and eateries have to pay utmost care to ensure that social distancing norms are followed. People should not crowd at wayside eateries to have food.
• Experts have warned that restaurants could be the epicentre of the next wave of COVID-19. We should not allow that to happen, the CM said.
• If the number of cases come down considerably, the government will have to consider opening schools and colleges for conducting classes that require public exams. The government doesn't intend to take a hasty decision.
• Doubtful about conducting regular classes for primary class students in this academic year.
• As per official data, around 5 lakh people contracted COVID in the state. Some of them have been suffering from post COVID difficulties. It may take some time for them to fully recover from the damages of organs induced by COVID. Such people should take enough rest and have healthy food. Those facing health issues should consult the post-COVID centres.
• Sabarimala pilgrims should take care not to spread the virus.
• Pilgrims should not crowd at bathing ghats.
• Facilities for COVID tests set up at Nilakkal base camp.
• Only five among 1,000 people tested at Nilakkal test positive. This gives the government the confidence to conduct the pilgrimage smoothly.
• We could reduce the pressure on hospitals by setting up more First Line Treatment Centres. As many as 1,24,000 beds have been set up at 1,426 centres apart from hospitals.
• We could keep the death rate below 0.4. It was possible because of early tracing of the infected and the facilities in the health sector.
24 more COVID deaths
Twenty-four COVID deaths too were confirmed. With this, COVID death toll rises to 2,095.
Though more deaths were reported, the State is yet to ascertain them as COVID deaths. Tests are underway at the National Institute of Virology in Alappuzha.
More healthworkers contract virus
Fifty-two healthworkers too contracted the virus.
They include fourteen from Ernakulam, six from Kozhikode, six from Malappuram, five each Thrissur and Kannur, four from Pathanamthitta, three from Thiruvananthapuram, two each from Kollam, Palakkad and Kasaragod, one each from Kottayam and Wayanad.
Quarantine
A total of 3,14,752 people are under observation across the state. Of them, 2,98,902 are under home or institutional quarantine while 15,850 are in hospital. A total of 1,489 people were admitted in hospitals on Tuesday.
So far, a total of 59,52,883 samples have been sent for testing.
