Kerala records 1,989 new Covid cases, flier detected with South African variant, journos to get jab

Kerala reported 1,989 new Covid-19 cases and 12 fatalities on Thursday. The active caseload reached 24,380 while the toll rose to 4,539.

At 301, Kozhikode reported the highest number of cases on Thursday, followed by Kannur at 205 and Thiruvananthapuram at 202.

An air passenger tested positive for the South African variant of Covid-19 over the last 24 hours. The new patient, combined with 102 people detected with the UK strain and one testing positive for the Brazilian variant, took the total number of such cases to 108. Of these, however, 102 patients are said to have recovered.

As many as 51,027 samples were tested in the last 24 hours as the test positivity rate stood at 3.9%.
Among those who tested positive on Thursday, 75 has a recent history of travel outside the state while another 1,746 patients caught the infection from their primary or secondary contacts. The sources of the remaining 153 cases could not be traced. The state also reported 1,865 recoveries on Thursday.
Of the fresh lot of people who tested positive for the virus, 15 are health workers.

1,68,096 people receive vaccine at Alappuzha

A total of 1,68,096 people received their first doses of the Covid vaccine in Alappuzha district. Among them, 32,413 were health workers and 34,357 were polling officials and frontline workers. Another 96,319 people over the age of 60 also received the vaccine, reported Madhyamam. Also, 5,814 people between the ages of 45 and 59 and suffering from comorbid conditions, were also among those to receive the jab.
A further 18,614 people, including 17,481 health workers and 1,133 polling officials, have taken their second doses of the vaccine. Citizens over the age of 60 are required to receive their vaccine shots from government hospitals or specially organised mega camps after spot registration.

Follow protocols to avoid second lockdown: Wayanad DMO

Taking cognisance of the rising Covid cases, the Wayanad DMO has requested people to follow the Covid protocols and state guidelines strictly. People must wear masks in a gathering or at public places, reported Madhyamam. It is also necessary that locals maintain social distancing and wash their hands regularly to avoid another lockdown. The DMO urged people to get themselves vaccinated in a bid to help authorities eradicate the virus once and for all.

Kochi: Vaccination for media persons

Media persons on polling and counting day duty in Kerala are being offered vaccine shots, starting from Thursday. A total of 296 media persons in the district, whose names are in the Election Commission’s rolls, are eligible for receiving vaccines. This list will be given to every vaccination centre, reported Malayala Manorama. The eligible media persons must bring their company ID cards and Aadhaar cards on the day of inoculation.