Lone fresh positive case in Kerala; Tally of active patients dip to 16

Kerala has flattened the COVID-19 curve, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said as only a solitary case was reported on Friday and just 16 people remained under treatment for the infection in the state.

He also said the state needed to be careful to avoid another wave of the deadly virus but asserted it was ready to fight it in such an event.

The state reported a solitary positive case, taking the total to 503 while ten more people recovered on Friday, further bringing down the active cases to 16, he told reporters here.

"Now, two months later (after second wave of infections hit the state in March), the curve has been flattened. As we have completed 100 days since the country's first COVID case was detected from Kerala, we havea record of better recovery rate in the whole world," Vijayan said.

The fresh case was a person with kidney ailment who came to Ernakulam from Chennai, the chief minister said.

"All the ten recoveries are from Kannur. The total tally of the cases in the state is 503, while 20,157 are under observation, including 347 in various hospitals," he said.

The country's first COVID-19case was reported on January 30 when a medical student from Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus, tested positive in Thrissur, he said.

The second wave of the virus had hit the state during March when a three-member family returned from Italy.

With the start of repatriation of the stranded Non Resident Keralites (NRKs), mainly from Gulf nations, "there is need to ensure that athird wave does not happen in the state and all efforts are being taken to ensure this," he said.

"We need to be careful to avoid a third wave. In case there is one, we are ready to fight it," Vijayan said.

Though the positive cases have reduced, there cannot be any room for any complacency, he added.

Kerala has been earning accolades from many quarters for the manner in which it dealt with the pandemic and restricting deaths due to the virus to just three so far while containing its spread.

It has made elaborate arrangements to screen the returning expatriates and put them under quarantine.