Daily new Covid cases in Kerala bounced back to the 30,000 mark indicating a new elevated plateau when Tuesday recorded 30,203 cases as Health Minister Veena George claimed that the spread is ‘under control’ and much below the numbers the Health Department had projected post-Onam.

A multidisciplinary team that toured the State earlier this month too had assessed that the active case pool in the State during the week ending with Onam (August 1 to 20) will be in the region of 4.6 lakh. As of Tuesday (August 31), the number of cases stood at 2,18,892, but is growing.

Kodiyeri, wife test positive

The Health Minister said that 86 per cent of the population in Ernakulam district, lately witnessing a surge of cases, has been vaccinated. The District Administration proposes to cover all eligible persons above the age of 18 by September 10 based on vaccine availability. A request for 1.11 crore doses has been placed with the Centre, which is expected to be delivered by September-end.

Meanwhile, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, top CPI(M) leader and former State Secretary of the party, and his wife tested positive on Tuesday and are under observation at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College. They had travelled by train from Kannur to the State Capital a few days ago, sources said.

TPR too springs back

Also on Tuesday, the test positivity rate (TPR) too sprung back to 18.86 per cent in tandem with the rise in daily new cases on a tested sample base of 1,60,152. The number of wards with a Weekly Infection Ratio (WIPR) threshold of above seven per cent came in lower at 215 (353 on Monday).

Number of deaths came in at 115 which took the cumulative toll to 20,788. Those admitted in hospitals are 31,707 (30,826 on Monday) and this number is on a slow burn. Against the new cases of 30,203, recoveries were 20,687 which took the active case pool to 2,18,892 (2,09,493).

The highest number of cases on Tuesday was reported by Malappuram (3,576) followed closely by Ernakulam (3,548); Kollam, which saw a sudden flare-up to 3,188; Kozhikode (3,066); Thrissur (2,806); and Palakkad (2,672). Six of the eight other districts had more than 1,000 cases each.

Our Bengaluru bureau adds : At least 21 students at a nursing college, all from Kerala, have tested positive for Covid in Hassan city on Tuesday. The students had come to a Nursing College in Hassan to appear for an examination.

They tested positive when they underwent an RT-PCR test after they complained of Covid-related symptoms. Around 27 students who had come in contact with them have also been quarantined.

The Karnataka Government is learnt to have made a one-week of institutional quarantine mandatory for all travellers from Kerala. Tests will be conducted on the seventh day irrespective of prior vaccination.

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