Another 1,547 people in Kerala tested positive for the coronavirus on Wednesday, taking the total number of cases to 77,705, of which 55,782 have recovered and been discharged. The state, in the last week of August, had been testing fewer samples owning to the Onam festival.
The state has 21,932 persons presently undergoing treatment, considered active cases. Among the new cases reported on Wednesday, 1,461 were infected through their contacts and the source of infection for 156 patients is yet to be traced. Of those tested positive, 21 had travel history from abroad and 65 persons are from other states. The numbers also include 36 health care workers and six coast guard personal, who are suspected to have contracted the disease through local transmission, stated a press release from the Health Department.
With Kerala seeing a string of holidays on account of Onam, the daily testing continued to be low with 23,850 people undergoing tests in the past 24 hours. While 14,137 samples were tested on Tuesday of which 1,140 tested positive, Wednesday saw 23,850 samples being tested and 1,547 new cases being reported. Last week of August saw the state test 34,000 to 40,000 samples per day.
Kerala recorded seven deaths on Wednesday taking the death toll to 305. Six of the deceased were above the age of 60 and one above 50.
Across the state, 1,93,736 people are under observation which includes 18,354 people in various hospitals.
Thiruvananthapuram is the worst affected district recording 16,003 cases and 94 deaths, followed by Malappuram which recorded 9,739 cases and 24 deaths. Ernakulam district has so far recorded 6,456 cases and 37 deaths.
(With IANS inputs)