THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala’s worst fears, of a spike in Covid cases post Onam holidays, came true when it reported the highest number of cases and infection rate in three months on Wednesday. Experts said that though the increase in daily cases was on expected lines, it remains to be seen how the increasing caseload would stretch the state’s health system.
The state reported 31,445 new cases on Wednesday, with seven districts adding more than 2,000 each to the patients’ list. At current pace, the daily case count is set to cross the peak of the second wave reported on May 12 (43,529). The TPR of 19.03% came on the back of testing 1,65,273 samples.
Testing to be intensified in areas with high spread: Min
Wednesday’s death count, 215, was reported mostly on account of recording the backlog during the Onam holidays. At present 2,047 patients are in ICU and 790 on ventilator support. However, the occupancy has increased only marginally as per the health department’s Covid Jagratha portal. The department has decided to ramp up testing. “Testing will be intensified in locations with high spread and clusters. More tests will be done in districts which are lagging behind in vaccination,” said Health Minister Veena George. She said the department will collect samples from clusters and through camps. Health workers, frontline workers, merchants and people in various care homes will be subjected to testing. The minister urged the public to conduct voluntary testing, which is done free of cost at government hospitals.
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