Kerala continued to have more than 1,000 cases for the second consecutive day, with 1,078 new COVID-19 cases today. Of these, 798 got the infection through contact, while 219 are those who came from abroad.
The state also reported five deaths today—the highest so far. With this, the death toll in the state has reached 50.
As per today's data, there are 428 hotspots in the state and 9,458 people are under treatment now.
The highest number of cases are in Thiruvananthapuram—222. Of these, 100 have got the infection through contact. Sixteen cases have unknown sources. “The situation in Thiruvananthapuram is critical,” said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
The neighbouring district of Kollam has 106 cases, of which 94 are through contact. Ernakulam has the third highest positive cases, with 100 positive ones. Here too, 94 cases are through contact.
As per the data, the districts which share borders with neighbouring states, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, continued to report higher number of cases as in the case of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Kasaragod. The state had closed its borders with these states. “But people are still entering the state through pocket roads. This could pose a risk to everyone and has to be stopped,” the CM said. Sixty-five per cent cases reported in the state in the last two weeks are from these districts, as per the data.
“Kerala was the first state to report COVID-19 in the country. The state could manage both the first and second stage. Now, we are at a turning point. Everyone has to fight this disease jointly. Only then we will be able to overcome it,'' Vijayan said.
“The coming weeks are going to be crucial. We should not let our guard down. Kerala will have to overcome this too, successfully,” the CM said.
When asked about the decision regarding lockdown, Vijayan said that no decision has been taken on it. “The government is holding consultations with all stakeholders in this issue. A decision will be taken after examining all pros and cons,” he said. But he did not rule out the possibility either.
The government has also decided to postpone the assembly sessions amid the increasing number of cases. “It is dangerous to hold the assembly session now, as Thiruvananthapuram has the highest number of cases. As you know, a good number of MLAs are in the 60-plus age group. So, it is very risky. Hence, we decided to postpone the meeting,” said the CM.
