After the weekend, Kerala’s COVID-19 case graph dipped on Monday to register 5,022 new cases, when 36,599 samples were tested in the past 24 hours .
The dip in cases was in proportion to the dip in the samples tested, as demonstrated by the test positivity rate, which stood at 13.7%, slightly higher than the previous day’s TPR.
The State again had more recoveries than new cases on Monday, with 7,469 patients being discharged from hospitals.
The cumulative case burden of the State now stands at 3,46,881. The total recoveries having touched 2,52,868 cases, the number of COVID patients currently in the State’s hospitals is 92,731.
There is a dip, albeit small, in the number of critically ill patients being treated in ICUs in the State even though it is not clear if this was due to the recovery or death of patients. The number of patients currently being treated in ICUs is 746, with 187 on ventilator support.
The Health Department added 21 more deaths which occurred in the past few weeks to the State’s official toll on Monday, taking the cumulative COVID toll in the State to 1,182. Ernakulam reported five of these deaths, Kozhikode four, three each in Thrissur and Thiruvananthapuram, two each in Malappuram and Kollam and one each in Kannur and Kasaragod.
Of the new cases reported on Monday, 4,963 cases (98.8%) are locally acquired infections, including 647 cases wherein the source of infection remains unknown. This includes 59 healthcare workers who also contracted the infection.
Among districts, Malappuram has been consistently reporting the highest number of cases in the State since the past few days, while the epidemic curve is beginning to plateau and go down in many other districts.
On Monday, Malappuram reported 910 cases, Kozhikode 772, Ernakulam 598, Thrissur 533, Thiruvananthapuram 516, Kollam 378, Alappuzha 340, Kannur 293, Palakkad 271, Kottayam 180, Kasaragod 120, Wayanad 51, Pathanamthitta 32 and Idukki 28 cases.
As far as active cases are concerned, Thiruvananthapuram, which has been reporting a dip in new cases and an improved recovery rate, has been pushed to the fourth place among districts. Ernakulam, though has registered a decline in active cases from the previous days, has 11,468 patients, Kozhikode 10,852, Malappuram 10,810 and Thiruvananthapuram, 9,205 cases.
