Kerala has continued to lead the rest of the States both in the number of daily new Covid-19 cases and the test positivity rate (TPR) as a runaway spiral in infection, kicking off from just around the time of school reopening, has shown no signs of relent. The TPR shot up to 16.32 per cent on Wednesday (2.35 per cent for India as a whole) leading a section of the public health activists to figure it out as a ‘chilling reminder’ of the unforgiving transmission during March-April-May last year. The State Health administration has, however, ruled out the presence of a Covid-19 variant other than the pre-existing Omicron.

Proxy for masked larger spread

The State reported 3,419 new cases on Wednesday when 20,948 samples were tested. According to the public health activists, this could be only a proxy of a much masked larger spread given the ‘lower than desired number of tests conducted.’ The number of active cases reported in the State on Wednesday is 18,345, of which Ernakulam district housed 5,641; Thiruvananthapuram, 3,664; and Kottayam, 2035, according to the State Health Department statistics. These districts topped the chart of the daily new cases as well. Of the eight deaths reported, seven had occurred earlier and were confirmed with a delay while one got added to the list following the appeal procedure.

Daily national tally crosses 10,000

Meanwhile, for the country as a whole, daily new cases on Wednesday crossed 10,000 for the first time after February 26 with the latest number clocking at 12,213. Another 4,578 cases were added till 8 am on Thursday, according statistics put out by the Union Department for Health and Family Welfare on its website.

Kerala adds 1,667 more

Wednesday also saw a 38.4 per cent jump in daily cases to 58,215, taking the total tally for the country to 4,32,57,730 while the death toll climbed by 11 to 5,24,803. Active cases comprise 0.13 per cent of the total infections, while the recovery rate came in at 98.65 per cent, the health ministry said. Kerala added 1,667 new cases till 8 am on Thursday, followed by Maharashtra (994); Delhi (466); Tamil Nadu (306); West Bengal (171); Telangana (142); and Uttar Pradesh (135).

Surge in Mumbai, Delhi

Mumbai on Wednesday reported 2,293 new Covid-19 cases, up by 569 from a day ago and the highest daily count registered since January 23. The metropolis crossed the 2,000 daily cases-mark after almost five months (2,550 on January 23). The number of cases rose to 10,85,882 in all while the death toll increased to 19,576, a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation bulletin said.

In Delhi, more than 7,100 coronavirus cases have been reported in the last 10 days even as the TPR too kept pace to reach 7.01 per cent from 1.92 per cent registered a week ago.

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