Thiruvananthapuram: Seventy-five people tested positive for coronavirus in Kerala on Wednesday, taking the number of active COVID-19 cases to 1,351, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan informed during his press conference at Thiruvananthapuram.
The number of confirmed cases stands at 2,697.
On Wednesday, the number of recoveries were higher than those tested positive. Ninety patients recovered.
Of the positive cases today, three had contracted the disease through contact. While 53 came from abroad, 19 came from neighbouring states.
Here's the district-wise breakup of positive cases:
Kasaragod: 9
Kannur: 4
Wayanad: 3
Kozhikode: 6
Malappuram: 11
Palakkad: 6
Thrissur: 8
Ernakulam: 5
Kottayam: 4
Pathanamthitta: 1
Kollam: 14
Thiruvananthapuram: 3
District-wise breakup of people who turned coronavirus negative:
Palakkad – 24
Alappuzha – 16
Kozhikode – 14
Thrissur – 11
Thiruvananthapuram – 10
Kollam – 4
Pathanamthitta – 5
Kottayam – 3
Ernakulam – 2
Kannur – 1
Among those who returned to Kerala from other states eight people came from Maharashtra, five from Delhi, four from Tamil Nadu and one each from Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat.
There are 1,25,307 people under observation in the state. Of them, 1,989 are hospitalised.
Of the 1,22,466 samples sent for tests, results of 3,019 are awaited.
Stating that the state has entered the third stage of infection, the chief minister said the people have to follow social distancing and use of masks, contact restrictions and reverse quarantine strictly to contain the spread of the virus.
The chief minister reiterated the government's stance that expatriates should undergo testing before flying back.
So far, 84,195 people have returned from abroad and 1,79,059 from other states.
Most of the cases were reported from Kollam on Wednesday. Fourteen people, including a nine-year-old girl tested positive. Of the 14 cases, 11 are returnees from abroad, two from Delhi and one from Chennai.
Malappuram reported 11 cases. One of them contracted the disease through contact. The 23-year-old woman of Veemboor, Manjeri, was in the primary contact list of an ASHA worker who had tested positive on June 5. Seven patients are returnees from abroad and three from other states.
Of the nine cases in Kasaragod, seven came from abroad and two from Maharashtra. The district did not report any recovery.
Six cases were confirmed in Palakkad. All of them are returnees from abroad. They include a 25-year-old pregnant woman and two boys, aged six and one, who returned from Riyadh on June 6.
All the six new cases in Kozhikode are returnees from abroad (Kuwait -- 4, Saudi -- 1, Dubai -- 1).
Of the five cases in Ernakulam, a woman of Puthenvelikkara contracted the disease through contact with a close relative who is undergoing treatment.
TDB to close temples
The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has decided to keep the temples managed by it closed till June 30. The decision was taken in the wake of the rise in the number of COVID-19 cases through contacts.
However, the daily pujas in the temples will be conducted as usual.
Worship centres in Krala were opened earlier this month as per the revised guidelines of the central government. However, some religious managements had decided not to reopen their institutions soon.
