Kerala on Thursday reported 8135 cases and crossed 2 lakh mark even as chief minister Mr Pinarayi Vijayan announced a series of new schemes to create 50,000 jobs in the agricultural sector within 100 days to address the huge unemployment situation created by the pandemic.
The state crossed the 2 lakh mark in Covid - 19 cases and recorded the highest deaths in a single day with 29 persons succumbing to the infection on Thursday. The official death toll has now risen to 771.
During the past 24 hours, 59,157 persons were tested in the state and 2,828 recovered from the infection. Of the new cases, 7013 contracted the disease through contact, source of infection among 730 is yet to be ascertained, 67 infected persons came from abroad while 218 from other states.
The chief minister said that the state had more than doubled the Covid - 19 cases in a month recording 1,20,721 cases and 448 deaths in September alone. In the last one week the state has recorded 40,000 plus new cases indicating a huge spread.
Kozhikode reported the highest number of cases at 1072 followed by Malappuram 968, Ernakulam 934, Thiruvananthapuram 856, Alappuzha 804, Kollam 633. Thrissur 613, Palakkad 513, Kasargod 471, Kannur - 435, Kottayam - 344.
Initiative to address unemployment triggered by pandemic: Apart from 50,000 jobs in agriculture sector, the government will create 10,968 posits in educational institutions including schools and colleges, 700 posts in medical colleges, 1217 jobs outside health and education sectors besides 425 posts in higher secondary schools, 1000 persons will be employed in CFLTCs, 5000 persons to be employed via Public Service Commission in next 100 days, 2000 people will be employed in civil supplies distribution division for next three months, 3977 persons will be employed in public sector units and 500 posts will be created in cooperative sector.
