THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state inched closer to 20,000 mark in the total number of Covid-19 patients as it reported 702 new cases on Monday. Though the number of new patients dipped slightly as compared to previous days, the unabated spread in Covid-19 clusters and formation of new clusters are a cause for concern. Among the cases reported on Monday, 483 persons contracted the virus through local transmission, while the sources of infection of 35 patients remain unknown. Two deaths made it to the official list on Monday. They are Mohammed, 61, in Kozhikode and Ouseph George, 85, in Kottayam. The day also marked 745 recoveries.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in his evening briefing, said Parassala and Pozhiyoor in Thiruvananthapuram, Kondotty in Malappuram and Sultan Bathery in Wayanad would become large clusters as several positive cases are being reported from these areas.The areas near large community clusters are also under tight watch for larger spread, said the chief minister. Pulluvila, Puthukurichi, Anchuthengu and Adoor are some of the areas where the cases are spreading to nearby locations. The lockdown will continue in Thiruvananthapuram.
However, the government will soon announce relaxations in the capital city which has been under lockdown for more than three weeks. The government has given a direction to appoint fresh graduates of the Kerala University of Health Sciences and deploy them in Covid First-Line Treatment Centres (CFLTCs). The state plans to add more CFLTCs in phases, he said. Meanwhile, the CM said he had given directions to the officials concerned to avoid the delay. The test results of the samples of the deceased would be speeded up, he said. The state conducted 18,417 tests in the last 24 hours. With 1,237 fresh admissions in hospitals on Monday, there are 9,609 active cases in the state.