The testing for COVID-19 went up significantly since the past two days and Friday’s report said the State tested 91,931 samples in 24 hours, the highest in a day so far during the pandemic.
While 61,501 of these tests were rapid antigen assay, RT-PCR tests were also increased to 25,352, while other molecular diagnostic tests such as Truenat and CBNAAT constituted the remaining tests.
The new cases reported were 5,610, with the test positivity rate dropping further to 6.10%. The State’s cumulative burden has risen to 9,56,421 cases.
The active case pool has now come down to 67,795 cases, with 6,653 more recoveries. The cumulative recoveries till date has risen to 8,84,542.
On Friday, 19 more deaths were added to the official list, taking the toll ever since the pandemic began to 3,832. Kozhikode reported five deaths; Thiruvananthapuram four; Kollam three; Alappuzha, Kottayam and Malappuram two each; and Kannur one.
Official reports said the number of critically ill patients being treated in ICUs in various hospitals across the State was 792 with 222 of them needing ventilator support.
Among districts, Ernakulam continues to report the maximum number of cases with 714, Kozhikode 706, Malappuram 605, Pathanamthitta 521, Thrissur 495, Kottayam 458, Thiruvananthapuram 444, Kollam 391, Alappuzha 310, Kannur 253, Idukki 232, Palakkad 219, Wayanad 163 and Kasaragod 99.