For the first time after the case graph of the third wave of COVID-19 epidemic began to climb, Kerala reported more recoveries than new cases on Monday. However, the dip in cases was because of the dip in testing by nearly half the number of samples, which has been a regular phenomenon following a weekend.
The test positivity is still high at 15.4%. When 38,259 samples were tested in the past 24 hours, Kerala reported 5,930 new cases, while the recoveries on the day were 7,836.
The cumulative case burden of the State is steadily inching towards the three lakh mark and now stands at 2,95,132 cases.
Total recoveries till date being 1,99,634, the number of patients currently undergoing treatment in State’s hospitals has reached 94,388.
Of the active cases, 658 are critically ill and occupying ICUs while 176 are on ventilator support.
The State’s toll now stands at 1,025, after 22 more deaths in the past few weeks were added on to the official list of COVID deaths. Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur reported six deaths each, Kozhikode four, Ernakulam three, Alappuzha two, and one each in Kollam and Idukki.
Of the new cases, 5,157 cases are locally acquired infections, with 195 cases remaining unlinked to a known source of infection. A whopping 195 health-care workers have contracted COVID, with 76 of the cases reported in Thiruvananthapuram, 23 in Ernakulam, and the rest scattered across districts.
Among districts, cases continue to rise in Kozhikode and Malappuram, while Thiruvananthapuram, which was consistently reporting the highest number of cases daily, has begun to fall behind.
Kozhikode has 869 cases, Malappuram 740, Thrissur 697, Thiruvananthapuram 629, Alappuzha 618, Ernakulam 480, Kottayam 382, Kollam 343, Kasaragod 295, Palakkad 288, Kannur 274, Pathanamthitta 186, Idukki 94, and Wayanad 35.
Active case burden in districts is led by Ernakulam with 12,266 patients, Kozhikode 11,316, Thiruvananthapuram 11,513, Thrissur 8,908, and Malappuram 8,694 patients.