COVID-19: 65 employees in Kerala secretariat test positive

At least 65 employees from various departments in state secretariat have tested positive for COVID-19, as Kerala logged 3,742 new cases and 16 deaths on Monday, taking caselo to 9,72,180 and toll to 3,883.

With several employees testing positive, authorities have issued directions to reduce number of staff inside ministrative complex to half in some sections including Finance department.

Health department suspects rise in number of infections in secretariat due to recent election to canteen posts that was conducted last week.

Around 4,200 employees h attended election that was organised at Darbar Hall, Secretariat. A total of 5,959 people got cured of disease today, taking total recoveries in state to 9,02,627.

State Health minister K K Shailaja said 47,927 samples were tested in last 24 hours and test positivity rate was 7.81 per cent. Till w, 1,01,44,253 samples have been tested.

minister said one person who reached state from UK tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, taking total UK returnees found infected to 81.

Earlier, 10 people from that country was found infected with new strain of virus. re were 65,414 patients under treatment in state. minister 2,24,759 people were under observation, out of which 10,664 were in isolation wards of various hospitals.

"Out of those infected today, 72 reached state from outside, while 3,379 contracted disease through ir contacts. source of infection of 264 are yet to be traced, while 27 health workers are also among infected..," minister said in a release.

Among districts, Malappuram reported highest of 503 cases today, followed by Ernakulam with 431. Kozhikode reported 403, Thiruvananthapuram 380 and Kottayam 363. Seven regions were ded while one was removed from list of hotspots, taking its total number to 452 in state.