Kerala recorded 32,097 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, the third day in succession that it saw a daily tally of over 30,000. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in a statement said 32,097 people turned positive after 1.74 lakh samples were tested in the latest 24-hour period and the daily test positivity rate was 18.41%. There were another 188 COVID-19 deaths, taking the total death toll to 21,149. The 24-hour period also saw 21,634 people turning negative, taking the total active cases in the state to 2.29 lakh.
Among the 14 districts of the state, Thrissur recorded the highest with 4,334 cases followed by Ernakulam (3,768), Kozhikode (3,531), Palakkad (2,998), Kollam (2,908), Malappuram (2,664), Thiruvananthapuram (2,440), Kottayam (2,121), Alappuzha (1,709), Kannur (1,626), Pathanamthitta (1,267), Idukki (1,164) and Wayanad (1,012), the release said. Of the new cases, 98 were health workers, 102 from outside the state and 30,456 infected through contact with the source of the contact not being clear in 1,441 cases, the release said.
There are currently 5.68 lakh people under surveillance in various districts. Of these, 5.34 lakh are in home or institutional quarantine and 33,282 in hospitals. Ernakulam district accounts for the highest active cases in the state at present at 29,676, followed by Kozhikode (28,122) and Malappuram (27,769).
As per some estimates, Kerala now accounts for more than 60% cases in the country. The state also reports the highest daily COVID-19 cases in the country at present. Meanwhile, on Thursday, the General Education Minister V Sivankutty said that the state government will look into the aspects of reopening schools in the state. The minister has said that an expert committee will be formed to finalise on school reopening. In Delhi and Tamil Nadu, schools have been reopened due to the decrease in COVID-19 cases. However, Kerala continues to witness a surge in cases.
Read: