Kerala records 193 new COVID-19 cases, 167 recoveries on Monday

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala's COVID-19 graph continued to rise steadily as another 193 people tested positive for the disease on Monday.

With this, the total number of COVID-19 cases reported in the state has gone up to 5,622, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said.

As many as 167 patients tested negative on Monday. Presently, 2,252 people are under treatment for coronavirus in various hospitals, while 3,341 recovered from the disease.

Of the positive cases today, 35 had contracted the disease through contact. While 98 came from abroad, 65 came from other states.

The death toll due to the pandemic stand at 28, with the death of a trader in Kochi on Sunday.

Yusuf Saifudheen, 66, was undergoing treatment at the Kalamassery Medical College Hospital since June 28. He hailed from Thoppumpadi in Ernakulam district. He was a trader at the Kochi Broadway.

District–wise breakup of positive cases:

Malappuram: 35

Pathanamthitta: 26

Ernakulam: 25

Kozhikode: 15

Alappuzha: 15

Thrissur: 14

Kannur: 11

Kollam: 11

Wayanad: 8

Palakkad: 8

Thiruvananthapuram: 7

Kasaragod: 6

Idukki: 6

Kottayam: 6

District–wise breakup of recoveries:

Palakkad: 33

Pathanamthitta: 27

Ernakulam: 16

Thrissur: 16

Malappuram: 13

Kasaragod: 12

Kottayam: 11

Kollam: 10

Kannur: 10

Thiruvananthapuram: 7

Alappuzha: 7

Kozhikode: 5

Out of the 5,622 COVID-19 cases reported in the state, 4,918 cases are from outside - 3,426 from abroad, 1,492 from other states. As many as 704 cases recorded in the state are through contact.

Of the 1,83,291 people under observation for suspected infection, 1,80,316 are home/institutional quarantined and 2,975 hospitalised.

Till date 2,04,452 samples (including repeat, augmented and private lab samples) have been sent for testing, out of which results of 4,179 are pending. Apart from this, 60,006 samples were taken from priority groups like health care workers, persons with high social exposure, workers etc. as part of sentinel surveillance of which 57,804 samples tested negative.

The state has 157 hotspots as of today.

Source of 41 cases yet to be identified

The chief minister said sources of 41 COVID-19 infections could not identified till June 30. He said health department was hopeful of ascertaining the infection sources of 23 cases.

The statement implied that how 18 persons infected coronavirus would remain a mystery.

These cases were spread across eight districts, viz Thiruvananthapuram (3 persons), Palakkad (3), Malappuram (3), Kottayam (3), Kollam (2), Idukki (2), Thrissur (1) and Kozhikode (1).

"The number of source-less cases is less than one per cent of the total confirmed cases," he said.

No daily cross-border commutation

The chief minister said daily cross-border commutation will not be allowed, especially in the Kerala-Karanataka border of Manjeswaram in Kasaragod district.

"Many people travel between Manjeswaram in Kasaragod district and Mangaluru in Karnataka daily. Since this may cause disease spread, those who commute for jobs should stay at their work place and travel only once in a month," he said.

Vijayan said offices of ministers and IT companies in Thiruvananthapuram will be allowed to function with minimum staff.

He said 104 para-military personnel have been tested positive for COVID-19. "Instructions have been given to respective district collectors to take measure to check the virus spread in the camps," he said.

Grave situation in Thiruvananthapuram

Vijayan said triple lockdown was imposed in Thiruvananthapuram as the situation appeared to be going out of control.

He buttressed his claim with the help of statistics. "Until May 3, there were only 17 cases in the district. Of them, 12 were returnees and five contracted the disease through contact. However, from May 4 till date, 277 people have tested positive in the district. Of them, 216 came from outside and 61 are contact cases," he said.

More COVID-19 cases linked to fish market in Thiruvananthapuram

17 contact cases in Ernakulam

Ernakulam district reported 25 cases. Of them, 17 contracted the disease through contact. The source of infection is not known in two cases - a 39-year-old priest in Aluva and a 49-year-old man of Keezhmadu. The remaining 15 patients were in the contact list of those who had tested positive earlier.

Four family members of a Vennala native who tested positive on July 4 have contracted the virus. Two others in his contact list also tested positive.

Three family members of a Chellanam native who tested positive on July 3 and three close relatives (Kaloorkkad natives) of a Paingattoor native, tested positive on July 3 have also contracted the disease.

A woman from Mulavukad who works at a shop of a Thoppumpady native who tested positive on July 1 is another person who contracted the virus. A family member of a Kadavanthra native who tested positive on July 4 and a Thevara native in her contact list have also tested positive.

Of the 25 cases in the district, eight are imported ones. While five are returnees from abroad three came from other states.

Two accused test positive

Malappuram reported the most number of cases on Monday - 35. Of them, 21 are returnees from abroad and 11 from other states. There are three contact cases. One of them is a 43-year-old woman of Vattamkulam who had come in contact with a person who had tested positive on June 27.

Two people arrested by the Tirur police have also tested positive. They are a 27-year-old native of Cheriyaparappur and a 29-year-old man of Muttannur. The duo were arrested on June 29 for cases relating to sand smuggling and cheating.

Eighteen cops, including the sub inspector, have gone into quarantine.

Of the 26 cases confirmed in Pathanamthitta, 25 are imported ones (17 from abroad and eight from other states). After a brief lull, the district on Monday reported a contact case without information on the source of infection. A student leader has contracted the virus through contact.

There are six contact cases among the 15 cases reported in Kozhikode. All the six are natives of Vellayil who had come in contact with a man who committed suicide last week.

Fourteen of the 15 cases in Alappuzha are imported one (seven each from abroad and other states). A 53-year-old relative of a Kayamkulam native who tested positive while he was undergoing treatment in Kollam contracted the disease through contact.

A 65-year-old woman of Kumbidy, Anakkara in Palakkad contracted the disease through contact with a doctor who tested positive in Malappuram. The woman is hospitalised in Malappuram. The remaining seven new cases in the district are imported cases.

Owing to the restriction in the state capital, he addressed the media through a Facebook live on Monday.

Key points from CM's Facebook live:

• Permission will be granted to travel in and out of Thiruvananthapuram Corporation in case of emergencies.

• In Thiruvananthapuram, weddings can be conducted with a minimum of 10 people from both sides.

• People living in containment zones can step out of homes for buying essentials, but they should produce an affidavit.

• Online delivery of food items has been allowed in the state capital.

• District administration in Thiruvananthapuram and the State Health Department are working tirelessly.

• The chief minister advised people who are cured of the disease to stay indoors for some more days after discharge.

• Police have filed 4,537 cases for not wearing masks. 15 others face cases for violating quarantine rules.

• Triple lockdown in Ponnani taluk will be withdrawn Monday midnight.