Kerala reported 2,216 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, when 47,229 samples were tested in 24 hours, taking the State’s cumulative case burden ever since the pandemic began to 11,17,993 cases.
The test positivity rate (TPR) shot up to 4.69%.
With 1,853 recoveries, the active case pool is 24,582. The cumulative recoveries reported by the State ever since the pandemic began has risen to 10,88,522.
The addition of 12 new deaths which took place in the past few days to the official list of COVID-19 fatalities took the State’s cumulative toll to 4,579 deaths.
Malappuram reported three deaths, Kottayam, Kozhikode and Kannur two each while one death each was reported from Kollam, Thrissur and Kasaragod.
The number of critically ill COVID-19 patients in the State who are currently being treated in ICUs in various hospitals came down to 449 on Sunday, according to official reports, with 140 of them requiring ventilator assistance.
1,954 contact cases
Of the 2,216 new cases reported on Sunday, 1,954 cases are believed to be locally acquired infections. This includes infections reported in 23 health-care workers. In 92 cases, the Health Department has reported a history of travel to other States. No history of travel or contact with infected persons is reported or known in the case of 170 infections.
Among districts, Kozhikode reported the maximum number of new cases with 403 cases, Kannur 285, Ernakulam 220, Malappuram 207, Thrissur 176, Kasaragod 163, Thiruvananthapuram 147, Kottayam 139, Kollam 127, Alappuzha 93, Pathanamthitta 82, Wayanad 64, Palakkad 63 and Idukki 47 cases.
Foreign travellers
One more person from the U.K. has tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.
With this, a total of 109 persons who reached the State from abroad since mid-December have tested positive. This includes 103 persons from the U.K., five from South Africa and one from Brazil. Official reports said that 101 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.
