Record 488 new COVID-19 cases in Kerala on Saturday, 143 recover

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala reported the highest number of COVID-19 cases in a day, 488, on Saturday. With this, the total cases reported from the state is now 7,438, out of which 3,442 are active and 3,963 recovered.

As many as 143 patients were cured on Saturday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan informed during his press conference at Thiruvananthapuram.

Of the positive cases today, 234 had contracted the disease through contact. While 167 came from abroad, 76 came from neighbouring states.

Two health workers, four DSC, two ITBP and two BSF personnel are also among those who contracted disease on Saturday.

District-wise breakup of today's positive cases:

Alappuzha: 87 (51 through contact)

Thiruvananthapuram: 69 (46 through contact, source of 11 unknown)

Pathanamthitta: 54 (25 through contact)

Malappuram: 51 (27 through contact)

Ernakulam: 47 (30 through contact, source of 5 unknown)

Palakkad: 48

Thrissur: 29

Kannur: 19

Kasaragod: 18

Kollam: 18 (7 through contact, source of 2 unknown)

Kozhikode: 17 (8 through contact)

Wayanad: 11

Idukki: 5 (includes a health worker)

Kottayam: 15

District-wise breakup of patient's cured today:

Pathanamthitta – 43

Kollam – 26

Thrissur – 17

Malappuram – 15

Alappuzha – 11

Palakkad – 7

Thiruvananthapuram – 6

Kottayam – 6

Idukki – 4

Kozhikode – 4

Ernakulam – 3

Kannur – 1

2 COVID deaths

P K Balakrishnan Nair, 79, who died due to heart attack on Friday in Pulluvazhy in Ernakulam district, tested positive for coronavirus.

Authorities are not sure how Balakrishnan contracted the disease and are in the process of creating his route map.

On Friday, another coronavirus positive patient Saifudeen, 67, from Thiruvananthapuram had also died.

With this the death toll in the state has risen to 31.

COVID in Cherthala taluk hospital

According to unofficial sources, five people including a doctor in Cherthala taluk hospital have been tested positive for coronavirus. Earlier, a COVID positive pregnant woman was treated at the hospital.

As the the situation worsened in Alappuzha district, five new containment zones have been added in the region. These are Thumboli in the Alappuzha municipality, Pulliyoor (ward: 1), Ala (13), Vallikunnam (2, 3).

More restrictions

Perintalmanna market in Malappuram district shut as a lorry driver who visited the place tested positive for coronavirus.

The Kozhikode collector has announced that all fishing harbours in the district will be restricted zones from Saturday. Only fisherfolk passes and badges issued by the Harbour Management Committee will be allowed inside.

Forty-five wards in Thiruvananthapuram are designated as containment zones. Awareness campaigns are on at these places through various means. In Poonthura alone, 1,366 antigen tests were done, of them, 222 positive cases were reported. A first-line treatment centre will be operative there soon. A mobile unit and dispensary unit too have been set up.

In wake of the rising number of cases in Kasaragod, strict restrictions are enforced in all markets until July 17. Special passes have been arranged for trucks that deliver vegetables.

Key points from CM's speech:

• 5-kg rice too will be distributed to families in containment areas in Thiruvananthapuram. Other essentials too will be delivered to families here.

• Kayamkulam market will be shut.

• Malappuram has four COVID clusters now. Most cases here were reported through contact. Several Ponnani health officials too had contracted the virus. Source of a few cases are unknown. It is in the wake of this that restrictions have been enforced.

• Aluva market have now been considered a cluster and efforts are on to intensify testing in this region.

• CM urged all to wear masks, wash their hands regularly, and maintain social distance at all times. Masks are mandatory in public places.

• As mentioned earlier, we are on the brink of community transmission. If we falter now, all our efforts will go in vain.

• A COVID Response Team was formed to strengthen our operations in containment areas. This will include personnel from police, revenue and health. This team will work 24 hours a day.

• Testing near ITBP camp in Thamarakulam panchayath and Kayamkulam market have been intensified in wake of the rising cases in Alappuzha.

• More first-line treatment centres will be opened in sensitive areas.

Quarantine and testing

At present, there are 1,82,050 people under surveillance in various districts of the state, 1,78,356 under home or institutional quarantine and 3,694 isolated in hospitals. 570 people were hospitalised today.

12,104 samples were tested during the last 24 hours. A total of 3,34,849 samples have been sent for testing and the results of 6,449 samples are yet to come. As part of Sentinel Surveillance, 73,768 samples were collected from high-risk groups and 66,636 samples were negative.

16 new places were designated as hotspots today while 15 were excluded from the list. There are a total of 195 hotspots now in Kerala.