Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala recorded 19,675 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday after testing 1,19,594 samples taking its Test Positivity Rate (TPR) to 16.45 percent.
During his sunset briefing, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the Covid situation in the state is getting under control.
The state has 1,61,026 active patients now.
With 142 more deaths being confirmed due to the disease, Kerala's toll rose to 24,039. 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.
After 19,702 more recover from the infection, the number active patients in the state reached 1,61,026.
Of the new cases, 18,924 had contracted the virus through contact while 52 had come from outside the state. Among the contact cases, the source of infection of 595 is yet to be traced.
There are 104 health workers among the new cases.
The state has reported 45,59,601 COVID-19 cases so far. Of them, 43,73,966 recovered.
Key points from CM's media address:
• More than a crore persons have received both doses of vaccination in Kerala.
• 24 lakh persons in Kerala are yet to receive their first doses of vaccination.
• So far, 90.57% eligible persons in Kerala has received their first doses and 38.07% have got their second shots.
• A number of senior citizens are yet to receive their vaccination, said the CM.
• Nearly 30% of COVID deaths in Kerala were caused by late hospitalisation.
• A seroprevelance study has been completed in Kerala. A special study is being done on the pandemic's effect on children.
• Traffic will be regulated near school; crowding will not ber permitted near schools.
Here's the break-up of today's positive cases:
Ernakulam - 2,792
Thiruvananthapuram - 2,313
Thrissur - 2,266
Kozhikode - 1,753
Kottayam - 1,682
Malappuram - 1,298
Alappuzha - 1,256
Kollam - 1,225
Palakkad - 1,135
Pathanamthitta - 1,011
Kannur - 967
Idukki - 927
Wayanad - 738
Kasaragod - 312
Recoveries:
Thiruvananthapuram - 1,911
Kollam - 1,572
Pathanamthitta - 1,043
Alappuzha - 1,270
Kottayam - 1,236
Idukki - 815
Ernakulam - 2,000
Thrissur - 2,386
Palakkad - 1,387
Malappuram - 1,572
Kozhikode - 2,050
Wayanad - 932
Kannur - 1,253
Kasaragod - 275
WIPR and quarantine
There are are 841 wards in 422 local bodies across Kerala where the Weekly Infection Population Ratio (WIPR) is above 10%. Strict Covid restrictions are being implemented in these regions.
A total of 4,81,195 people are under observation across the state. Of them, 4,57,822 are under home or institutional quarantine while 23,373 are in hospitals across the state. A total of 1,701 people were admitted in hospitals on Wednesday.
Among the 1.61 lakh active patients, only 13.3% are currently hospitalized.