Kerala records 31,445 fresh Covid-19 cases, steepest single-day jump in 3 months

Mangalore Today News Network / NDTV

Thiruvanantapuram, Aug 25, 2021: On Wednesday, Kerala reported over 30,000 Covid-19 cases, after a gap of three months, while the test positivity rate (TPR) rose to 19 per cent.

 

The last time Kerala recorded over 30,000 cases on a day was May 20 when it reported 30,491 fresh infections.

Kerala reported 31,445 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday and the toll mounted to 19,972 with 215 new deaths.

With this, the number of Covid cases in the state reported a spike of nearly 30 per cent over the past 24 hours. Kerala reported 24,296 Covid-19 cases on Tuesday.

ONAM SPIKE?

Kerala celebrated Onam on August 21. After the Onam festivities, medical experts had predicted that the positivity rate would go beyond 20 per cent and that the number of infections would rise further.

In the last 24 hours, 1,65,273 samples were tested and the TPR was found to be 19.03 per cent. So far, 3,06,19,046 samples have been tested.

As many as 20,271 people have been cured of the infection since Tuesday, taking the total recoveries to 36,92,628 and the number of active cases to 1,70,292.

With the rise in Covid-19 cases in the state, state Health Minister Veena George said an intensive screening programme has been launched to detect as soon as possible who all are infected with coronavirus and to reduce further spread of the pandemic.

In a Facebook post, she said testing will be maximised in low vaccination districts and people should voluntarily get tested.

She said that sample collection will be done directly in the cluster areas and through camps and steps have also been taken to provide the test results without delay.

Kerala has adopted the scientific method of test per million by case per million and therefore, as the number of cases increased, so did the number of inspections, she added.

All those who are suffering from fever, cold, and sore throat or are susceptible to these diseases and those who have been in contact with Covid positive persons should be screened for the virus, the minister said.

She further said that people with respiratory problems and serious illnesses should be examined to make sure they are not infected by Covid-19, even if they have only minor symptoms, as such people can be severely affected if they are infected with the coronavirus.

If anyone who has attended a public ceremony or event, like a wedding or funeral, tests Covid positive, everyone who was there at such events should get tested, she said.

Meanwhile, the Opposition Congress picked holes in the virus management system in the state and urged the LDF government to immediately release the health data in this regard.

Courtesy:India Today