Kerala reported the biggest spike in COVID-19 cases in a single day as 62 people tested positive on Saturday. There are seven healthcare workers among the infected.
The latest number of cases is 20 more than those tested positive the previous day.
Around one-third of Saturday's cases have been reported from Palakkad – 19. Kannur reported 16 cases while Malappuram has 8 new cases.
The remaining cases are reported from Alappuzha (5), Kozhikode (4), Kasaragod (4), Kollam (3), Kottayam (2) and Wayanad (1).
Thirteen patients were infected through contacts. There are seven healthcare workers among them.
Three patients recovered on Saturday. They are from Kollam, Kottayam and Kasaragod. The state now has 275 active cases undergoing treatment in various districts. So far, 515 patients have recovered.
A total of 91,084 people are under observation in various districts. Of these, 90,416 are under home-quarantine and 668 are in hospitals. 182 people were admitted in hospitals on Saturday.
So far, 52,771 individuals (including the augmented sample) have been sent for testing. Of these, 51,045 samples tested yielded negative results.
In addition, as part of Sentinel Surveillance, 7,672 samples were collected from priority groups, such as health workers, guest workers, social contacts. Of them, 7,147 have returned negative.
Surge in imported cases continues
Of the new 62 cases, 18 have returned from abroad and 31 from other states. Nine cases came from UAE, three from Saudi Arabia, two from Kuwait and one each from Maldives, Singapore, Muscat and Qatar.
Thirteen of the 31 cases from other states came from Maharashtra while 12 returned from Tamil Nadu. Two cases each came from Gujarat and Karnataka and one each from Uttar Pradesh and New Delhi.
Of the seven healthcare workers infected, three are from Palakkad and two each from Kannur and Kozhikode.
Palakkad cases
Of the 19 cases in Palakkad, there are 12 men and seven women. They include returnees from Kuwait (1), Abu Dhabi (1), Gujarat (1), Kancheepuram(1) Mumbai (2) and Chennai (8). A 22-year-old health worker who was on duty at Walayar checkpost and two people who were in the contact list of a patient have also tested positive. The source of infection of the remaining two is unknown, according to district officials.
A 39-year-old man, hailing from Nellaya near Ottappalam was tested positive while he was under observation in Manjery Medical College Hospital. He returned from Kuwait on May 13 and was admitted to hospital the next day. His samples were taken on May 20.
A 56-year-old man and 46-year-old-woman of Chunangad near Ottappalam are among the infected. They came from Mumbai on May 20. A 11-year-old girl who returned from Gujarat on May 11 has also been tested positive. She is a native of Vellinezhi.
Those returned from Chennai include a native of Thottakkara, Elappulli, who entered the state on May 6 and three from Chunangad, Ottappalam, who came back on May 17. The remaining Chennai returnees are a Mundur native (42), who came back on May 13, two natives of Kadamabazhippuram in Alangad panchayat (aged 50, 20) who reached the state on May 14. One more person from Kadamabazhippuram, aged 53, is among the infected but the date of his arrival is not clear.
Those who contracted the disease through contacts with another infected person are a 19-year-old man and a 44-year-old woman from Sreekrishnapuram. They are the staff of Palakkad district hospital.
The person who returned from Kancheepuram is a 36-year-old man of Thottukaa in Ottappalam municipality. The Abu Dhabi returnee is a 30-year-old man fromChoorakode, Vallappuzha.
The samples of two women, aged 32 and 36, were collected from the district hospital on May 22. They have been tested positive but the source of their infection is not known.
Malappuram
Those who tested positive in Malappuram on Saturday are from Tharayil near Thennala, Easwaramangalam near Ponnani, Mankeri near Irimbiliyam, Pookkottumanna near Chunkathara, Keeramkund near Koottilangadi, Gramam near Veliyankode, Nallaya in Palakkad, PP Road near Tiroorangadi and Poovanchina near Randathani. All of them came from abroad or other states.
Malappuram has the highest number of active cases – 47.
Alappuzha
Two of the five infected came from abroad and two from Mumbai. One person was infected through contact. Those from abroad are a native of Chengannoor taluk who landed in Thiruvananthapuram airport on May 17. He came from Abu Dhabi. A native of Mavelikkara taluk, who returned from Saudi on May 19 in a Kochi-bound flight, has also been tested positive. Both of them had been quarantined at Alappuzha COVID care centre.
Those returned from Mumbai are a young woman in Kuttanad taluk and youth in Chengannoor taluk. The woman arrived at Thiruvananthapuram railway station on May 19 and had been home quarantined since then. The Chengannoor native arrived at Ernakulam railway station on May 19 and had been quarantined at the Alappuzha COVID care centre.
The mother of a Chengannoor native who returned from Chennai and was tested positive on May 21 has also tested positive on Saturday.
Three more persons have tested positive for COVID-19 in Kollam. Two had returned from the Gulf recently. The third person is a native of Thiruvananthapuram. He is listed under Kollam for his swab was collected at the Paripally Medical College here.
Of the four new cases in Kasaragod, three came from the Gulf and one from Maharashtra.
Nine more hotspots
Nine more regions have been converted into hotspots. The new hotspots are Nagalassery in Palakkad district, Chirakkal, Maloor, Payyanur municipality, Kottayam-Malabar, Kannur corporation, Ayyankunnu and Chembilodu in Kannur district and Koruthode in Kottayam district.
There are currently 37 hotspots in the state.
