Kerala's single day cases cross 1,000 mark for first time; Tally touches 15,032

In highest single day surge so far, Kerala on Wednesday reported 1,038 fresh COVID-19 cases, including 24 health workers and five councillors, taking infection tally to 15,032. death toll climbed to 45 with a 75-year-old man from Idukki succumbing to virus.

As many as 8,818 people were presently under treatment with 53 of m in Intensive Care Units (ICUs), including nine with ventilator support, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told reporters here. A total of 272 people recovered from infection while 1.59 lakh people were under observation, he said.

As spike in cases continued unabated, LDF government convened a virtual all-party meeting on Friday to discuss pandemic situation. Vijayan also said some experts have suggested imposing a complete lockdown again to contain spre and government might have to look into it.

"Such demands have come from various quarters. We have t taken any decision yet. We will seriously consider it," he said.

While situation remained grim in state capital, which has highest number of 2,421 cases, virus was spreing rapidly in Aluva at Kochi, prompting authorities to impose curfew re and nearby panchayats, Vijayan said, ding re was need to be more cautious.

Kerala crossed grim milestone of 1,000 cases in a single day, nearly two-and-half months after state on May 8 declared it h flattened coronavirus curve, reporting a solitary case that took active cases n to just 16. With more and more people returning to state mainly from Gulf and or parts of country, case lo has been soaring since last month.

On Wednesday, as many as 785 people were found to have contracted illness through contacts while source of infection of 57 people was t yet kwn.

Of new cases, a total of 87 h come from abro and 109 from or states.

Five councillors of Thiruvananthapuram Corporation and 24 health workers, including 18 from state capital, were among fresh cases.

Thiruvananthapuram reported 226 cases, including 205 who were infected through contacts, Vijayan said. coastal areas of district, where community transmission has been reported in two hamlets, are under complete lockdown. Or districts that reported high number of cases on Wednesday are Kollam 133, Alappuzha 120, Kasaragod 101 and Ernakulam 92.

In last 24 hours, over 20,847 samples have been tested while cumulative tally rose to 3,18,644, Vijyan said. A total of 1,59,777 people were under observation with 9,031, including 1,164 mitted on Wednesday, in various hospitals. In India, case per millionis 864.4 while in Kerala it was 419.1and country's fatality rate was 2.41 against Kerala's 0.31, chief minister said.

Eighty ventilators have been procured recently and 270 ICU ventilators h been received from Centre and within two weeks 50 more were expected,he said, ding health department has stocked 3.42 lakh N95 masks and 3.86 lakh personal protection equipment (PPE) kits among ors.

Or than COVID hospitals, health department has set up 15,975 beds as part of first-line treatment centres across state, Vijayan said. On cases registered against 300 unidentified people who gared before an examination centre here to receive students after combined entrance examination for engineering and or courses, he said it should have been controlled. "re is need to blame kids for it. We will look into it," he ded.