Kerala reported 1,970 new cases of COVID-19 when 60,974 samples were tested in the past 24 hours, taking the State’s cumulative case burden, ever since the pandemic began, to 10,94,294 cases on Tuesday.
The test positivity rate has been remaining below 4% since the past one week or more and registered 3.23% on Tuesday. With 2,884 recoveries being reported, the active case pool dipped again to reach 26,127 cases. The cumulative recoveries reported by the State ever since the pandemic began has risen to 10,63,444.
The addition of 15 new deaths that took place in the past few days to the official list of COVID fatalities in the State took the State’s cumulative COVID toll till date to 4,422 deaths.
Ernakulam reported five deaths, Kozhikode three, Malappuram and Kannur two each, while one death each was reported in Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha.
The number of critically ill COVID patients in the State, who are currently being treated in ICUs in various hospitals here, dipped to 490 on Tuesday, according to official reports, with 127 of them requiring ventilator assistance.
Of the 1,970 new cases reported on Tuesday, 1,755 cases are believed to be locally acquired infections, through the contact with other infected persons. This includes infections reported in 13 healthcare workers. In 70 cases, the Health Department has reported a history of travel to other States. No history of travel or contact with infected persons are reported or known in the case of 145 infections
Among districts, Ernakulam reported the maximum number of new cases with 238 cases, Kozhikode 237, Kottayam 217, Kannur 176, Thrissur 166, Thiruvananthapuram 165, Kollam 163, Pathanamthitta 126, Alappuzha 103, Malappuram 102, Idukki 81, Kasaragod 78, Palakkad 69 and Wayanad 49 cases.
Foreign travellers
One more person from South Africa who reached Kerala in the past 24 hours, has tested positive for COVID-19.
With this, a total of 104 persons who reached the State from abroad since mid-December have tested positive for COVID-19 so far. This includes 99 persons from UK, four from South Africa, and one from Brazil. Official reports said that 91 of them have since tested negative.
So far, 11 persons, including one contact of a UK returnee, have tested positive for the virus variant B.1.1.7 in the State.
