THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a clear indication that the third wave is waning, the number of daily Covid cases reported in the state dropped below 1,000 on Sunday, after a gap of more than one-and-a-half years. Kerala reported 885 new cases on the day with a test positivity rate (TPR) of 4.17%.
Daily cases in the state remained above 1,000-mark since August 3, 2020 — when 962 new cases were reported. The state witnessed a surge in cases from there on, followed by the Covid second wave. Health Minister Veena George said though the cases have come down, it was not time yet to take the guard off. “We need to remain vigilant even though the cases have reduced. The precautionary measures should be continued for some more time. The aim is to eradicate Covid,” she said.
Currently, there are 8,846 Covid patients in the state, of whom 866 are admitted to various hospitals. The peak of the second wave saw the cases per day increasing to 43,529, on May 3, 2021. The lowest number of per day cases reported between second and third waves was on December 27, 2021 (1,636 cases).
The third wave that started in the beginning of this year peaked on January 25, with 55,475 cases. The prevalence of highly transmissible Omicron took the TPR to alarming levels. Veena said the government could check the third wave effectively with a different strategy. “The containment measures were based on severity of the disease. There was no shortage of hospital beds, ICUs and ventilators during the third wave,” she said.
The state has witnessed a sharp ascend and descend of the third wave, a pattern similar to other parts of the world. The third wave saw the weekly infection rate at 45% in the first week, 148% in the second and 215% in the third week. But it declined to 71% and 16% in the subsequent weeks.
First Covid case: January 30, 2020
First 1,000 daily cases: July 22, 2020
Peak of second wave: May 12, 2021 (43,529)
Peak of third wave: Jan 25, 2022 (55,475)