Kerala COVID cases cross 10K mark, two more ministers virus infected

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala on Wednesday reported the highest single day spike with 10606 COVID-19 positive cases even as the total number of active cases in the state inched towards 1 lakh.

With the new cases, the number of people infected with the virus in the state so far has reached 92,161. The single-day highest spike is also attributed to the increase in testing.  During the last 24 hours, a total of 73816 samples were tested in the state which is a higher figure compared to the testing carried out in the previous days.

Kerala ministers M M Mani and K T Jaleel tested positive for the coronavirus on Wednesday. With this five members of the Pinarayi Vijayan cabinet have so far been infected by the deadly virus.

While Mani, the Electricity minister, has been admitted to the government medical college hospital here, Jaleel, Higher Education Minister, is under observation at his official residence.

The 75-year old Mani, in a Facebook post, requested all those who had come in contact with him in the past few days to be on guard.

Earlier, ministers Thomas Isaac, E P Jayarajan and V S Sunil Kumar, had tested positive. They have all recovered.

Of the new cases 9542 contracted the infection through contact, the source of infection among 741 is yet to be traced, 54 came from abroad and 164 from other states and 98 health workers also got infected.

The state also recorded 22 deaths on Wednesday taking the official death toll to 906.

Kozhikode district reported the highest number of cases at 1576 followed by Malappuram 1350, Ernakualm 1201, Thiruvnanthapuram 1182, Thrissur 948, Kollam 852, Alappuzha 672, Palakkad 650, Kannur 602, Kottayam 490, Kasargod 432, Pathanamthitta 393, Wayanad 138 and Idukki 120.

At present 2.67 lakh persons are under surveillance across the state including 2.38 lakh are under home/institutional quarantine.