Intense community transmission of COVID-19 across all districts took the caseload over 1,000 in the State on Wednesday.
With 1,038 new cases on Wednesday, the total caseload has gone up to 15,032 in a matter of days.
Approximately 80% of these cases — 839 out of the 1,038 cases — are locally acquired infections, indicating the intensity of community transmission across the State. In 57 of these cases, the source of infection could not be established.
While this exponential increase in cases totally follows the global pattern of disease transmission, with a significant proportion of health-care workers forced to go into quarantine every day, many health institutions are struggling to find its feet in the midst of the pandemic.
Till July 20, 267 health-care workers had tested positive, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said. On Wednesday, 24 health-care workers tested positive across the State, 18 of them in the capital city.
Situation in capital
The situation in Thiruvananthapuram, where community transmission was officially declared for the first time in the State, continues to be intense. In the district, 208 out of the 226 cases (92%) reported on Wednesday are cases of local transmission, with 15 cases having no epidemiological link. The district has the highest patient load with 2,421 cases.
With 272 recoveries, the current number of patients undergoing treatment in various districts is 8,818. The total number of recoveries so far are 6,164.
Mr. Vijayan said that of the active patients in hospitals, 53 were being treated in ICUs and nine patients were currently on ventilators. Five deaths were reported in the State on Wednesday.
While the death in Idukki figures in the official stats, four confirmed deaths reported from Kollam, Kozhikode, Kasaragod and Kannur are yet to figure in the official tally because of reporting time bar.
The official death toll as on Wednesday is 45.
