Six hundred and eight new COVID-19 cases were recorded on Tuesday in Kerala, of which 396 patients contracted the virus through contact. 4,454 patients are under treatment in the state, while 4,440 patients have recovered so far. 201 of the 608 new patients on Tuesday are from Thiruvananthapuram.
With the number of coronavirus cases spreading through contact on the rise, the state government on Tuesday informed that Kerala is in the third stage of disease spread, where it is being spread from person to person.
"According to the World Health Organisation, there are four stages in the spread of this disease. Kerala is in the third stage, where it is spreading in clusters in particular areas. We have identified clusters in Malappuram and Thiruvananthapuram. We need to be extra cautious to avoid the next stage, which is community spread," Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Tuesday. The previous stages were the cases being imported from outside the country and outside the state. The next, or fourth, stage would be community transmission.
Among the 608 patients who tested positive on Tuesday, 130 are returnees from abroad and 68 people are from other states. The source of infection of 26 patients is not known yet. One hundred and thirty officers from the Indo Tibetan Border Police also tested positive. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that regulations must be strictly maintained at the ITBP centre.
One more death was recorded in the state on Tuesday, in Alappuzha. The man had returned from Saudi Arabia.
Kerala has tested 2,52,302 samples so far.
The Chief Minister added that the state fought the Nipah virus for a month and was successful. "We have been fighting coronavirus for six months. Mostly, we can contain this only by the end of the year,” he added.
He also asked people to be patient in facing these hard times, and told them to be cautious. He added that some members of the public behave irresponsibly as it takes a long time to fight the disease. “It is our carelessness that leads to the spread of COVID-19 through contact," the CM said.
As the coronavirus spreads rapidly, special IAS officers have been appointed in each district to help the district collector with the coordination of the containment activities.