Maintaining its trend of growth in COVID-19 infections, Kerala reported 1,758 new cases on Tuesday, its cumulative tally touching 47,898.

Coronavirus, August 18 updates

With 1,365 more recoveries, active cases or the number of patients under treatment in hospitals stood at 16,274. The death toll rose to 175, with the Health Department confirming six more fatalities due to COVID-19. Two of these deaths were in Kozhikode, two in Thiruvananthapuram and one each in Palakkad and Wayanad.

Local transmission touched a new high on Tuesday, as 95% new cases – 1,677 of 1,758 cases – were locally acquired infections. This included 25 health care workers. In 81 cases, the source of infection was not traced.

Thiruvananthapuram had the most new cases at 489.

The number of samples tested in the last 24 hours was 29,265.

Cases rose in Telangana on Monday, two days after recording lower numbers because of reduced tests. On August 17, of 19,579 samples tested, 1,682 were positive and results of 560 were awaited. On August 16, only 894 cases were detected.

Interactive map of confirmed coronavirus cases in India

Eight more persons died taking the toll to 711. The 1,682 new cases included 235 from Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), 166 from Rangareddy,107 from Warangal urban, 106 from Medchal-Malkajgiri, 88 from Karimnagar district.

On August 8, State Health officials estimated that cases would come down in GHMC by the end of the month. The gradually declining cases were seen as moving towards this estimate. However, experts cautioned about a second wave of infections.

The tally in Andhra Pradesh crossed the three lakh-mark on Tuesday with 9,652 new infections and 88 deaths. While the tally rose to 3,06,261, the death toll went up to 2,820. With this, Andhra Pradesh became the third State to witness over three lakh infections after Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.

State-wise tracker for coronavirus cases, deaths and testing rates

The State took only 11 days to detect the third lakh of infections with 5.99 lakh tests after crossing the two-lakh-mark (2.06 lakh) on August 7, while Maharastra and Tamil Nadu took much longer - 14 days and 16 days respectively - for the third lakh. The State has so far tested 29,61,611 samples.

AP tested a higher percentage of its population than the other two States. Its tests per million ratio at 55,461, was the highest among major States and third-highest among States and Union Territories after Jammu and Kashmir and Delhi on Tuesday.

Maharastra’s tests per million ratio was 25,690 and that of Tamil Nadu at 49,075.

Full coverage: Lockdown displaces lakhs of migrants

As a result, the State’s confirmed cases per million ratio (CPM) was also higher than the other two. A.P.’s CPM was 5,732 Maharashtra’s 4,838, and Tamil Nadu’s 4,467. The overall positivity rate was 10.34%.

Karnataka reported 139 deaths on Tuesday, the highest so far on a single day. The total number of deaths now stand at 4,201. Meanwhile, the new positive cases reported on Tuesday stood at 7,665.

(With inputs from Hyderabad, Vijayawada and Bengaluru bureaus)