Kerala: Record 2,655 new Covid cases on Saturday as surge continues

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state reported a new single-day high of 2,655 Covid cases and 2,111 recoveries on Saturday. Among the new cases, 2,494 were via contact including 61 health workers, 38 had returned from foreign countries and 114 from other states. The state tally has reached 84,759 and active cases stood at 21,800.
The death toll climbed to 338 with 11 more Covid deaths being confirmed. Vijayakumar (61), Maniyan Nadar (70), V K Devassia (73) and Shyamala (62) from Thiruvananthapuram, Abdul Kareem (78) from Kannur; Dhanya (26), Asha Mujeeb (45), Ashwathi (25) and Sudhakumari (54) from Kollam, Dhanalakshmi (60) from Thrissur and Befathima (80) from Kasaragod are the deceased.
Thiruvananthapuram continued to top the district-wise Covid tally with 590 cases, followed by Kasaragod (276), Malappuram (249), Kozhikode (244), Kannur (222), Ernakulam (186), Kollam (170), Thrissur (169), Pathanamthitta (148), Alappuzha (131), Kottayam (119), Palakkad (100), Idukki (31)and Wayanad (20). In Thiruvananthapuram, 574 of the reported cases are contact cases hinting that rate of transmission is still high.
Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that cases are spreading rapidly in all districts. “We are yet to gauge the impact of relaxations granted for Onam festival,” he said, adding that the state is confident of containing the disease. He said the performance of the state so far had been far better when compared to other states.