Kerala reported 2,508 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday with a test positivity rate (TPR) of 4.84%. Public health experts said the State should have a mitigation plan to counter a more severe and fast-paced second wave.
“We do not have adequate knowledge about the virus and should be very careful about extrapolating its behaviour during the last wave. Unlike in the first, we find the virus is creating more immune mischief now so that our margins for treatment are much narrower and the time to respond, much less,” said Subramanian Swaminathan, an infectious diseases specialist at Global Hospital, Chennai, and governing council member, Clinical Infectious Diseases Society.
The State added 14 more virus deaths. Kozhikode district reported the maximum new cases at 385.
Andhra Pradesh witnessed five more deaths and added 1,288 infections on Friday. The TPR of 31,116 samples was 4.14%. One death each occurred in Anantapur, Chittoor, Guntur, Prakasam and Visakhapatnam districts.
Karnataka ordered a ban on gyms and swimming pools, rallies and protests, allowing cinemas with only 50% seating.
No lockdown, curfew
After suspending regular classes for VI to IX grade students in Bengaluru, it extended the rule to all districts. But the government decided against lockdown or night curfew.
Karnataka reported 4,991 cases, 3,509 from Bengaluru Urban. There were six deaths. On Friday, 51,373 seniors and 68,100 above 45 years took the jab. Also, 1,219 and 419 in these categories, respectively, took the second dose.
Telangana reported 965 cases on Thursday and five fatalities. The Hyderabad region recorded 254 cases.
(With inputs from Vijayawada, Thiruvananthapuram & Hyderabad bureaus)
