2,271 new cases in Kerala

The COVID-19 case graph continues to rise in the State and on Tuesday, Kerala recorded 2,271 new cases against the previous day’s figure of 1,494.

There was a sharp increase in COVID testing on Tuesday, with State doing 19,543 tests, while on Monday, the testing had dipped to 10,132.

The test positivity rate stood at 11.92% .

Ernakulam reported the most number of cases at 622, followed by Thiruivananthapuram 416, Kottayam 274, and Kozhikode 241. The cases are in double digits in rest of the districts.

The State has 10,400 active cases now, though less than 300 of these cases are currently hospitalised.

A total of six COVID-related deaths entered the official COVID fatality list .

The case graph, which began rising sharply after May 23, had recorded 1,000-1,500 new cases daily for over a week before it crossed the 2,000 mark on Tuesday.

COVID cases have been rising slowly and steadily across all States and as always, Kerala, because of its better reporting system, have been accounting for nearly half the number of cases reported in the country.

Even when public health experts are debating whether this rise in cases could actually lead to a fourth wave, because of good vaccination coverage and previous immunity rendered through natural infections, it is reckoned that hospitalisations and deaths will be less.

However, the fact remains that the elderly and immunocompromised continue to be vulnerable to breakthrough infections and re-infections. Though the number of COVID deaths in the State have dwindled, it should be remembered that at least 2-4 deaths due to COVID are still being reported daily and this adds up to a good number every month.

Hence, maintaining COVID protocols, especially masking, assumes much importance, especially in public places as there are no more government-imposed restrictions on gatherings.

COVID had more or less disappeared from public memory when the graph has begun to rise again.

The Health department even stopped publishing the daily COVID bulletin (from April 11) when the daily cases had dropped to 200-250 and despite the government reinstating the mandatory wearing of masks, the public have been taking things easy.

School reopening is another factor which could have contributed to an uptick in cases. The Health department is keeping a close eye on hospitalisations, which have not shown any increase so far.

The cumulative number of COVID cases reported in the State has reached 65,69,058, and the cumulative deaths , 65,807.