131 new Covid-19 cases in Kerala,tally now 4,442 Covid

Kerala's Covid-19 tally touched 4,442 with 131 people, including nine CISF personnel from Kannur, testing positive on Tuesday, as the Indian Medical Association (IMA) sounded that there were indications of community spread.

The death toll in the state has climbed to 24 with the samples of a 76-year-old man, who died on June27 after reaching here from Mumbai, testing positive today. Of the fresh positive cases, 65 had come from abroad and 46 from other states, Health minister K K Shailaja said in a press release.

Ten have been infected through contact.

According to the release, 2,112 people have recovered from the infection, including 75 who were discharged today, while at least 2,304 are presently under treatment.

In Malappuram, where triple lockdown is in force, over 31,000 people are under observation, and 32 cases were reported today.

CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL COVERAGE ONLY ON DH

Today Kannur reported 26 cases, Palakkad 17, Kollam 12, Ernakulam 10, Alappuzha nine, Kasaragod eight, Thiruvananthapuram five, Thrissur and Kozhikode four each, Kottayam three and Pathnamthitta one.

At least 1,84,6576 people are under observation, of whom 1,81,876 are in home/institutional quarantine and 2,781 in hospitals, including 330 who were hospitalised today.

In the last 24 hours, 6076 samples have been tested.

According to the release, samples of 2,31,570 people have been tested so far and results of 3872 are awaited.

The total hotspots as of today touched 127.

Palakkad has the highest number of total cases-- 277, Malappuram 244, Kannur 204, Kollam 193.

In Kannur, 22,664 people are under observation while in Thiruvananthapuram it is 21,424.

The Indian Medical Association, Kerala chapter, has written to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, stating that there are indications of community spread as positive cases have been reported from asymptomatic persons who arrived from other states.

Besides, Covid positivity in health care workers who have not treated the infected have also been found, IMA said.

"Presently, the majority of the tests are being conducted in symptomatic individuals who come from outside the state.

So the tests done in our community though are limited, a significant number are positive and cannot be traced to any contacts," IMA said.

Hence the number of tests and testing in the community should be increased to 100/Lakh per week and Hotspot and containment zones should be screened with door to door testing, it added. The increasing instances of doctors and other health care workers, including those in the non-covid healthcare facility, getting infected indicates the necessity for widespread tests in the community, especially doctors and health care workers since they may be asymptomatic carriers, the IMA stated.

With the Covid cases increasing in the state, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has decided not to allow devotees to offer prayers at the shrines under its control until further orders. The board had earlier decided not to allow devotees into the temples till June 30.