Kerala adds over 4.9k fresh COVID-19 cases, tally climbs to 6.88 lakh

Kerala's COVID-19 tally climbed to 6.88 lakh and the toll to 2,734 with the addition of 4,969 new cases and 27 deaths, including that of a centenarian.

As many as 4,970 people joined the list of cured, taking the cumulative recoveries to 6,27,364, Health Minister K K Shailaja said.

A total of 58,155 people were presently undergoing treatment for the disease, the minister said in a release.

The overall infection count in the state has touched 6,88,409.

A 100-year old man from Kollam was among the latest fatalities, she said.

In the last 24 hours, a sum of 60,851 samples were sent for testing and the test positivity rate was 8.17 per cent. So far, 71,79,051 samples have been sent for testing.

Of the positive cases, as many as 47 are health care workers, 99 had come from outside the state and 4,282 infected through contact.

At least 2,96,747 people were under observation in various districts with 13,358 of them in hospitals, the release added.