Kerala reports record single day high of 2,476 COVID-19 cases

Kerala on Wednesday added 2,476 fresh COVID-19 cases, the highest ever single day surge, taking the total infection count to 64,354. The state recorded 13 deaths as the toll mounted to 257, Health minister K K Shailaja said.

As many as 69 healthcare workers were among the fresh cases of whom 2,243 were infected through contacts while the source of infection of 175 was not traceable, she said.

At least 1,351 people were discharged from various hospitals following recovery while 22,344 patients were undergoing treatment, the Minister said in a release here.

Among the fresh cases, as many as 64 had arrived from foreign countries and 99 from other states. The youngest among the latest fatalities was aged 26 while there were three in the 80 and above age group. More deaths will be confirmed after further tests at the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Alappuzha, the release said.

The state capital reported 461 cases on Wednesday, the highest in the state, followed by 352 in Malappuram, 215 in Kozhikode and 204 in Thrissur among other districts that reported fresh cases.

"So far, 41,694 people have been cured of COVID-19 and at present, 22,344 patients are undergoing treatment. A total of 1,89,781 people are under observation across the state and 17,646 in isolation wards of various hospitals across the state," the minister said.

At least 40,352 samples were tested in the last 24 hours. While 10 new places were declared as hotspots, 25 were removed from the list. Currently, there were 604 hotspots in Kerala, the release added.

(Photo Credit: PTI)