Three more patients succumbed to COVID-19 in Telangana on Friday, taking the toll in the State to 48. Andhra Pradesh reported one virus death in Krishna district.
The focus was also on Kerala as it reported its highest single-day spike in cases, with 42 persons testing positive for SARS-CoV-2.
While 40 cases were returnees from other States and abroad, two persons developed the disease locally.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that even as Kerala was bracing itself for a surge, it was taking a conscious stand to welcome all its people home, fully confident that with the right precautions and aggressive containment measures, the crisis could be managed.
Of the 40 returnees, 17 were expatriates from foreign countries and 23 from other States, especially Maharashtra.
Kannur reported 12 cases; Kasaragod seven; Palakkad and Kozhikode five each; Thrissur and Malappuram four each, besides two from Kottayam and one case each in Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Wayanad.
Of the two ‘contact’ cases, one was a health worker in Kozhikode and the other was in Kannur. Two persons recovered from the disease.
Kerala has so far reported 732 cases of COVID-19, of which, 216 persons were under treatment. A total of 512 persons recovered.
The number of people under surveillance rose to 84,258, of whom 83,649 were either on home or institutional quarantine, while 609 were in hospitals.
The Chief Minister said that people returning to Kerala must undergo the mandatory 14-day quarantine.
He clarified that this would apply to those who were coming to Kerala to stay for longer periods.
“For people travelling to Kerala for a day for business purposes, the government will not insist on 14-day quarantine,” he said.
A.P. toll now 55
Andhra Pradesh’s fatalities rose to 55 with the latest death. On the other hand, 51 persons recovered and were discharged.
Among 8,415 samples tested in a day, 62 cases were positive. Of these, four from Chittoor and 14 from Nellore were linked to Koyambedu market in Chennai. The total positive cases in the State stood at 2,514, of which 1,731 were discharged and remaining were under treatment, while another 153 cases were from other States.
138 cases in Karnataka
In Karnataka, a total of 138 new COVID-19 cases were reported on Friday.
The highest number of cases was from Chickballapur at 47, followed by Hassan with 14, Raichur 10 cases and Bengaluru Urban five.
Meanwhile, an analysis of 618 cases reported since May 14 revealed that 62% had a travel history to Maharashtra.
Telangana’s toll on Friday rose to 48.
Besides, 62 more samples tested positive for the virus. The new cases included 42 from Greater Hyderabad, one from Rangareddy and 19 were migrants. Of 1,761 cases detected till date, 670 were active.
(With inputs from Vijayawada, Bengaluru and Hyderabad Bureaus)
