Kerala records 24 new COVID-19 cases: 14 returned from abroad, rest from other states

The state so far has tested 49,833 samples (including augmented samples) of which 48,276 returned negative.
A file image of a frontline worker at an isolation ward
A file image of a frontline worker at an isolation ward
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Kerala reported 24 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, May 21 – all of them returnees from abroad and other states.  

Among the 24 patients, 14 are those who returned from abroad; eight from UAE, four from Kuwait, one each from Qatar and Malaysia. Ten positive patients are those who returned from other states – five from Maharastra, three from Tamil Nadu, one from Gujarat and one from Andhra Pradesh. 

The state also reported eight recoveries on Thursday. The test result of five people from Wayanad (this includes a native of Malappuram) and one each from Kottayam, Ernakulam and Kozhikode districts turned out to be negative. 

As of now the number of active cases in the state stands at 177 while a total of 510 people have recovered.

According to a statement from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's office, as many as 78,096 Keralites returned to the state by various modes. A total of 5,495 people returned by flight; 1,621 by ship; 68,844 by road; and 2,136 by train. 

80,138 people are on surveillance in various districts. Of this 79,611 are on home or institutional quarantine and 527 are in hospitals.

The state so far has tested 49,833 samples (including augmented samples) of which 48,276 returned negative.

6,540 samples had been sent for testing as a part of sentinel surveillance (random sample testing of health workers, aged people and other frontline workers, who have more exposure to the virus infection to assess transmission of the coronavirus in the community). Of this 6,265 returned negative. 1,798 samples have been tested in the last 24 hours.

The number of hotspots is 28. The state has three more hotspots on Thursday – Thrikkadeeri and Sreekrishnapuram in Palakkad and Dharmadam in Kannur. Eight regions have been excluded from the hotspot list.  

The state witnessed a surge in the number of cases after days of either zero or less number of cases, after the influx of Non-Resident Keralites (NRKs) to the state began, owing to relaxations in the lockdown rules.

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