Exactly 100 days after the first COVID-19 case was reported in Kerala and a total of 357 cases later, the State is cautiously optimistic that it can keep disease transmission under control, provided the lockdown norms and other deterrents such as social distancing and universal wearing of masks are imposed strictly.
Briefing media here on Thursday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the State had been winning much praise from foreign tourists — eight of them, including those well into their 70s and 80s — who had tested positive for COVID-19 while in Kerala and treated and nursed back to good health.
The condition of one of them, Brian Neil from the U.K., had been quite serious and had required special treatment which fortunately worked well for him. Except for one tourist who was treated at the Government Medical College Hospital (MCH) at Thiruvananthapuram, the rest were cared for by the Ernakulam MCH.
Even as 12 new positive cases were reported on Thursday, taking the total number of cases so far in the State to 357, Vijayakumar, 62, from Nedumprom, who had been home-quarantined for the past 18 days died at the Taluk Hospital in Thiruvalla on Thursday night.
He had come from Ahmedabad. Though he did not show any symptoms of COVID-19, authorities had taken his throat swab for clinical examination a day before. He was taken to the Taluk Hospital reportedly due to chest pain and died at the hospital in the evening. Hospital sources said the deceased was a cardiac patient and a chronic diabetic.
Of the 12 new cases, 11 cases turned out to be contacts and mostly members of a family, while one case was of a person who had returned from abroad.
While four cases each were reported from Kannur and Kasaragod, Malappuram reported two while Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam had a case each. Those currently in treatment in various hospitals number 258.
Mr. Vijayan said that 13 patients who were undergoing treatment had tested negative on Thursday.
