Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala recorded 32,680 COVID-19 cases on Saturday, pushing the total cases to 21,18,263.
As many as 29,442 people were cured of the infection, taking the total recoveries to 16,66,232.
The active cases touched 4,45,334, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said during his customary sunset briefing.
In the last 24 hours, 1,22,628 samples were tested and the test positivity rate was 26.65 per cent.
With 96 deaths being reported on Saturday, the state's death toll has risen to 6,339.
Of the positive cases, 99 were health workers, while 296 had come from outside the state and 29,969 infected through contact. The source of infection of 2316 among them is unknown.
No UK returnee has tested positive for the virus in the last 24 hours.
In the wake of the unprecedented surge in COVID-19 cases, Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Saturday urged the new government in Kerala to conduct the swearing-in ceremony on virtual platform.
Kerala State Lottery Department has postponed the Saturday lottery draw due to the COVID-19 lockdown across the state.
Key points from CM's press meet:
• Triple lockdown will be enforced from Sunday midnight in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Malappuram districts. These districts will have only one entry and exit points.
• Govt to deploy 10,000 additional police personnel to implement triple lockdown.
• In areas under triple lockdown, medical shops, petrol pumps, shops selling life-saving equipment and medical equipment can function on all days. Banks to function on Tuesdays and Friday.. Provision stores and bakeries can open on alternate days. Milk and newspaper distribution must be completed before 6am. Banks in co-operative sector to function only on Mondays and Thursdays.
• State has reported a few cases of fungal infection among COVID patients.
• LSG department will buy 19,500 pulse oximetres for distribution in Kozhikode district.
•Registration opens for vaccination of 18-44 age group
•The Centre has sanctioned one more oxygen train for Kerala. Meanwhile, the first oxygen express train will reach Vallarpadam on Sunday morning.
District-wise breakup of today's positive cases:
Malappuram- 4782 (4521 contact cases)
Ernakulam- 3744 (3620)
Thrissur- 3334 (3272)
Thiruvananthapuram- 3292 (3097)
Palakkad- 3165 (1643)
Kozhikode- 2966 (2926)
Kollam- 2332 (2321)
Kottayam- 2012 (1762)
Alappuzha- 1996 (1993)
Kannur- 1652 (1500)
Pathanamthitta- 1119 (1081)
Kasaragod- 847 (827)
Idukki- 737 (715)
Wayanad- 702 (691)
District-wise breakup of recoveries:
Thiruvananthapuram- 2912
Kollam- 1765
Pathanamthitta- 976
Alappuzha- 1509
Kottayam- 2190
Idukki- 691
Ernakulam- 3065
Thrissur- 2742
Palakkad- 3012
Malappuram- 3669
Kozhikode- 4725
Wayanad- 458
Kannur- 1504
Kasaragod- 224
Testing and quarantine
A total of 10,31,271 people are under observation in various districts. Of these, 9,94,204 are under home or institutional quarantine and 37,067 are in hospitals.
3,974 people were admitted in hospitals on Saturday.
So far, 1,78,12,355 samples (including the augmented sample) have been sent for testing.
On Saturday, three more regions have been converted into hotspots and five have been excluded from the list taking the total number of hotspots to 664 in the state.
(to be updated)
