With 821 new cases, Kerala's Covid-19 tally crosses 12,000 mark

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala's COVID-19 tally breached the 12,000 mark on Sunday with 821 people, including 13 health workers, testing positive for the virus in the highest single day spurt in the state so far. As many as 629 people were infected through contact, including 203 in Thiruvananthapuram district, Ernakulam 84, Palakkad 70 and Kollam 61.

The source of infection of 43 is not yet known. Thiruvananthapuram district, where community transmission has been reported in two coastal hamlets, has the highest number of cases 222, followed by Ernakulam 98.

There have been two fatalities on Sunday-- a 75-year-old woman from Uppala in Kasaragod and a 67-year-old man from Ernakulam succumbed to the virus. With these two fatalities, the toll climbed to 42 in the state. Among those who tested positive on Sunday, 110 people had come from abroad and 69 from other states, Health Minister K K Shailaja said in a press release.

The total positive casestouched 12,480 and 7063 people are presently under treatment. At least 172 people have recovered from the infection. Over 1.70 lakh people are under observation in various districts of whom 1.63 lakh are in home and institutional quarantine while 7,309 in various hospitals,including 866 admitted to hospital today, the release said.

In the last24 hours, 18,267 samples have been tested. So far, 5.32 lakh sampleshave been sent for testing so far of which results of 5,060 samples are awaited. The hotspots as of today have touched 218. Thiruvananthapuram district accounts for the largest number of patients under treatment-- 1884, followed by Ernakulam 771, Alappuzha 600 and Malappuram 577.