Kerala recorded 5,949 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Saturday during his evening briefing. The state also reported and 5,268 recoveries on the day, CM said while warning the public to watch out for severe post-Covid symptoms and ailments. The CM also pointed out that the number of active COVID-19 cases still remain under 60K and there is a gradual drop in new infections.

In the last 24 hours, 59,690 samples were tested. With this, the test positivity rate rose to 9.97 in the state.

Of the new cases, 5,173 had contracted the virus through contact while 83 had come from outside the state. Among the contact cases, the source of infection of 646 is yet to be traced.

With this, the number of active cases in the state reached 60,029.

The state has reported 6,64,632 COVID-19 infections so far. Of this, 6,01,861 made recovery.

Key points from CM's press meet

• The CM reminds the people of the need to be vigilant of post-COVID difficulties.

• Chronic COVID symptoms could be reported highly in the coming days. Those suffering from post-Covid difficulties should take enough rest and seek the services of the government's post-COVID clinics

• LDF is leading strong in the local body polls, braving the false propaganda of the rivals.

• There's no need to list out the government's achievements again now. The people are experiencing them. Nobody can write them off.

• Only the LDF and its politics can hold high the flag of unity in Kerala.

• CM compared the ongoing investigations by the central agencies to the witch-hunt of Communists during the colonial period.

Here's the break-up of today's positive cases:

Malappuram - 765 (737 contact cases)
Kozhikode - 763 (731)
Ernakulam - 732 (576)
Kottayam - 593 (563)
Thrissur - 528 (520)
Alappuzha - 437 (416)
Palakkad - 436 (208)
THiruvananthapuram - 373 (269)
Kollam - 354 (347)
Pathanamthitta - 333 (235)
Wayanad - 283 (277)
Kannur - 169 (123)
Idukki - 123 (114)
Kasaragod - 60 (57)

Recoveries:

Thiruvananthapuram - 529
Kollam - 447
Pathanamthitta - 204
Alappuzha - 425
Kottayam - 387
Idukki - 160
Ernakulam - 510
Thrissur - 570
Palakkad - 285
Malappuram - 611
Kozhikode - 619
Wayanad - 320
Kannur - 110
Kasaragod – 91

32 more COVID deaths

Thirty-two COVID deaths too were confirmed. With this, COVID death toll rose to 2,594 .

Though more deaths were reported, the state is yet to ascertain them as COVID deaths. Tests are underway at the National Institute of Virology in Alappuzha.

47 healthworkers contract virus

Forty-seven healthworkers too contracted the virus on the day.

They include 12 from Ernakulam, 7 from Kozhikode, 6 from Kannur, 4 each from Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, and Palakkad, 3 from Wayanad, 2 from Idukki, one each from Kollam,Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Malappuram, and Kasaragod.

Testing and Quarantine

Till Saturday, 69,21,597 samples (including routine, airport surveillance, pooled sentinel, CBNAAT, TrueNAT, CLIA and antigen assay) were sent for testing. 

A total of 3,15,167 people are under observation across the state. Of them, 3,01,833 are under home or institutional quarantine while 13,334 are in hospital. A total of 1,426 people were admitted in hospitals on Saturday.

One region has been designated as hotspot while four were removed from the list. The total number of hotspots is at 437 in the state now.