Eight more COVID-19 patients died in Telangana, taking the toll to 182 on Saturday. Andhra Pradesh witnessed two more deaths and 222 fresh cases. Karnataka reported 308 new cases and three deaths.
Kerala reported 85 cases and 46 recoveries on Saturday, taking its number of active cases to 1,342.
Of the new cases, 71 were imported cases of infection diagnosed in people who came from abroad, while 14 were cases of local transmission.
The cumulative number of those who had tested positive in Kerala was 2,407. So far, recoveries stood at 1,045.
The confirmation of SARS-CoV-2 infection in an assistant terminal manager at Calicut International Airport, Karipur, led to apprehension among expatriates and their relatives who use the airport.
About three dozen people, including the airport director, were asked to go in quarantine. All had interactions with the airport official who tested positive.
He was one of the eight persons who were confirmed to have acquired the virus through primary contacts on Saturday.
The Malabar Development Forum (MDF) on Saturday alleged that there was a deliberate attempt to tarnish the image of Karipur airport. The forum said fabricated stories were doing the rounds on social media that Karipur would soon be closed down.
In a memorandum to the government, the Forum demanded that the government stop insisting that NRIs returning by chartered flights prove themselves COVID-19 negative through expensive tests.
Andhra Pradesh had 222 fresh cases, a new single-day high. Of the total fresh cases, 186 were of local residents reportedly due to community transmission.
The death toll rose to 82 and the tally mounted to 5,858, the Health Department said. With the recovery of 94 more patients, the number of recovered patients stood at 3,185 and the active cases were 2,591.
The tests per million population ratio was 10,051 considering the State’s estimated population of 5.34 crore.
Telangana recorded 253 positive cases, its highest daily number yet. The total cases stood at 4,737.
Of the 253 cases, 179 were in Greater Hyderabad, 24 were from Sangareddy, 14 from Medchal, 11 from Rangareddy, four from Mahabubnagar, two each from Warangal Urban, Warangal Rural, Karimnagar, Nalgonda, Mulugu, Sircilla, Mancherial, one each from Siddipet, Khammam, Medak, Nizamabad, Nagarkurnool, Kamareddy and Jagtial districts.
Karnataka reported 308 new cases and three deaths. Bengaluru Urban saw 31 cases on Saturday, including a three-member family of an orthopaedic doctor.
(With inputs from Vijayawada, Hyderabad and Bengaluru bureaus)
