Kerala’s cumulative burden of COVID-19 rose to 6,49,571 cases when 4,875 new cases were reported in the State on Wednesday after 52,655 samples were tested in the past 24 hours.
The test positivity rate in the State that remained around 10% all through the past month or more, stood at 9.26 % on Wednesday, indicating that while new cases may show a declining trend, disease transmission levels have been remaining steady in the State, without showing any signs of relenting.
With the State also reporting 4,647 recoveries on the day, the active caseload in the State now stands at 59,923 cases. Till date, 5,86,998 recoveries have been reported in the State.
There is no let-up in COVID mortality either, with the Health department adding 35 new deaths to the official COVID toll of the State on Wednesday. The total number of COVID deaths in the State, as per official figures, now stands at 2,507
Unofficial estimates maintained by public health professionals in the State put the actual number of deaths to be at least 1,500 deaths more. They also estimate that there could be another 3,000 or more deaths in Kerala that might have escaped all official and unofficial COVID lists, which would definitely push up Kerala’s case mortality rate than what is touted now.
Pathanamthitta accounted for eight deaths, Malappuram seven, Kannur and Thrissur five each, Alappuzha, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram three each, and Kozhikode, one death.
Official figures cite the number of critically ill COVID patients currently occupying ICUs in various hospitals in the State at 841, with 212 of them requiring ventilator support.
Of the new cases, 4,781are locally acquired infections, while in 94 cases, the Health department has cited a history of travel outside the State. In 508 of the locally acquired infections, the source of infection could not be traced to a known source of infection, while 43 healthcare workers also contracted the infection.
Among districts, Ernakulam 717, Malappuram 709, Kozhikode 656, Thrissur, 511, Kottayam 497, Palakkad 343, Pathanamthitta 254, Kannur 251, Wayanad 241, Kollam 212, Alappuzha 194, Thiruvananthapuram 181, Idukki 57, and Kasaragod 52 cases.
