Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala recorded 16,671 COVID-19 cases on Saturday, pushing the total cases reported from the state to 46,13,937.
As many as 14,242 people were cured of the infection, taking the total recoveries to 44,23,772.
The active cases touched 1,65,154, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said during his customary sunset briefing. Kerala is currently the only state in India with more than one lakh active cases.
However, only 12.82 per cent of the cases currently under treatment are admitted in hospitals or field hospitals and less than 1 per cent of those under treatment are in the ICU.
Key points from the CM's presser:
• Bars, restaurants, hotels can allow dine-in for customers with double vaccination certificates. The staff must also be vaccinated. Only 50 per cent of the total capacity should be allowed inside. Use of air-conditioners will not be allowed
• Indoor stadiums and swimming pools can also be opened.
• Ahead of reopening of schools, fitness of the vehicles used by children for transportation must be ensured.
• Schools must also ensure that the service of doctors are available for students at all times.
• Job opportunities are opening up in Japan, mostly in the health sector. Norka will release more details of the recruitment.
• Heavy rains are expected in Kerala as Cyclone Gulab will hit Odisha coast. A yellow alert has been sounded in various districts.
• Opening of cinema theatres is still under consideration.
In the last 24 hours, 1,14,627 samples were tested and the test positivity rate was 14.54 per cent..
With 120 deaths being reported on Saturday, the state's death toll has risen to 24,248.
Of the positive cases, 75 were health workers, while 110 had come from outside the state and 15,794 infected through contact. The source of infection of 692 among them is unknown.
Testing and quarantine
A total of 4,73,920 people are under observation in various districts. Of these, 4,51,893 are under home or institutional quarantine and 22,027 are in hospitals.
1825 people were admitted in hospitals on Saturday.
There are 841 wards across 422 local self government bodies with the weekly population infection ratio (WIPR) above 11 per cent.
Vaccination
The state government also said that 91.62 per cent of the total population eligible for vaccination have been given one dose of vaccine by September 25 and 39.47 per cent of the eligible populace have been given both doses by the same date. More than 96 per cent of the people over the age of 45 years have received one dose and 58 per cent of the same age group have received both jabs till date, the release said.
District-wise breakup of today's positive cases:
Ernakulam 2500
Thiruvananthapuram 1961
Thrissur 1801
Kozhikode 1590
Kollam 1303
Malappuram 1200
Kottayam 1117
Palakkad 1081
Alappuzha 949
Kannur 890
Pathanamthitta 849
Wayanad 661
Idukki 486
Kasaragod 283
District-wise breakup of recoveries:
Thiruvananthapuram 2488
Kollam 141
Pathanamthitta 218
Alappuzha 1145
Kottayam 1605
Idukki 651
Ernakulam 567
Thrissur 2496
Palakkad 711
Malappuram 1397
Kozhikode 1118
Wayanad 331
Kannur 1019
Kasaragod 355