Number of hospital admissions in Kerala is mostly steady at 28,489 on Wednesday while that of daily infections stands at 23,500 (21,119 on Tuesday) at a slightly reduced test positivity rate of 14.49 per cent (15.91 per cent ) on a higher sample base of 1,62,130 (1,32,769).

Epidemiologists believe hospital admissions from now on will give an indication of where the ongoing spurt in daily new cases is headed especially in view of the approaching Onam festival and projections by a visiting Central team of experts of a whopping 4.6 lakh cases by August 20.

Toll crosses 18,000-mark

The northern districts of Thrissur (3,124); Malappuram (3,109); Ernakulam (2,856); Kozhikode (2,789); and Palakkad (2,414) accounted for most numbers while Pathanamthitta (696), ridden with the most ‘breakthrough’ infections, is among those which make up the rear of this list.

At least 116 deaths being reported over the past several days and now attributed to Covid-related complexities have now been added to the cumulative toll that has crossed 18,000 to reach 18,120 on Wednesday. Deaths are being confirmed in the hundreds on a daily basis with few exceptions.

Chief Minister’s call

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan exhorted people to observe Covid-appropriate behaviour and celebrate the Onam festival within the confines of homes. Speaking in the State Assembly on Wednesday, he called for maximum caution to keep the disease spread and toll to the minimum.

The Chief Minister’s call comes in the context of Sujeet Singh, Director, National Center for Disease Control, who headed the Central team, observing that the unlocking, approaching Onam and resumption of tourism pose challenges and are a cause of concern.

Breakthrough infections

Kerala had accounted for more than half of the Covid-19 cases recorded in the country in the last seven days. The State has recorded a high number of reinfections, especially in Pathanamthitta, even after two doses of the vaccine being administered and the issue is being probed.

At least 14,974 people got infected after receiving the first dose and 5,042 after being administered both doses of the vaccine in Pathanamthitta. Positivity rate was found to be more than 10 per cent in all the eight districts and at some places, it was found to be increasing.

Contact tracing falters

Over 80 per cent of the cases were of the Delta variant of the virus. Contact tracing was found to be abysmally low at 1:1.2 to 1:1.7 and the Rt value, which was the lowest (0.8) on June 1, had been continuously rising with a current Rt value of 1.12, Singh had said on Tuesday.

Going by the current trend, it is expected that for the period of August 1 to August 20 culminating in Onam, the State may witness around 4.62 lakh Covid-19 cases, Singh added.

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