Covid cases in Kerala is witnessing a steep increase with a nearly threefold increase in test positivity rate in one week time and the active cases doubling.
Covid death in Kerala also crossed the 50,000 mark.
Health Minister Veena Geroge said that the growth rate of Covid cases in the last week was around 100 per cent and the majority of the fresh cases were found in people belonging to the age group of 20-40 years.
The daily test positivity rate (TPR) of the state was around five per cent about a week back. On Tuesday the TPR was 14.1 per cent. Active cases in the state doubled over the last one week to reach 44,441 and the Covid deaths reached 50,053 as 277 more pending cases were added to the tally.
Meanwhile, health department sources said that even as the total Omicron cases confirmed in Kerala was only around 345, the actual number would be very high. Only samples from those coming from abroad are being subjected to genome sequencing to identify Omicron cases.
Already restrictions on gatherings like marriages were tightened by limiting the maximum participation to 50. Schools and colleges in the state were still functioning.
The health minister said that so far no clusters among students were found. Fresh restrictions might be required after evaluating the situations, she said.
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