Amidst mounting pressure on Kerala to ease the lockdown, the state on Tuesday witnessed a steep surge in fresh Covid-19 cases.
A total of 23,676 fresh Covid cases were reported in the state on Tuesday, which was the highest daily tally in the last two months. The test positivity rate (TPR) remained high at 11.87 per cent, with 1.99 lakh samples tested.
Fresh Covid-19 infections in Kerala have remained above the 20,000-mark for the last few days, except on Sunday. This triggered concerns about whether the state was witnessing an onset of the third wave of the pandemic.
Also Read | Kerala Govt Medical Officers Association stresses on strict contact tracing, quarantine amid Covid surge
Meanwhile, tension at the Kerala-Karnataka border in Kasargod continued on Tuesday as activists of all political parties staged a road blockade in the morning to protest against the restrictions on entry from Kerala to Karnataka. The protest was withdrawn following police intervention.
The Kerala government was seriously considering relaxing the lockdown prevailing in the state for nearly three months from the second week of May. Traders forums in the state, including those owing allegiance to the ruling left front, had openly expressed resentment over the continued lockdown as many traders even ended their life, owing to the mounting debts.
Experts had suggested that massive Covid testing and effective social distancing measures were the need of the hour.
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