1,078 new cases & 432 recoveries today, total 9,458 patients under treatment
20 new hotspots, total 428
 
Thiruvananthapuram, July 23: 1,078 new active cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in Kerala today even as 432 patients recovered from the same. Giving details, Chief Minister, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan said the numbers of Covid patients are increasing by the day and the total number of confirmed cases in the State is now 16,110. Of those detected today, 798 got infected through contact and the source of 65 cases is not clear. 104 are returnees from overseas and 115 from other states. There were five deaths also.
 
The district-wise figures of the positive cases are 222 from Thiruvananthapuram district, 106 in Kollam district, 100 from Ernakulam district, 89 in Malappuram district, 83 from Thrissur district, 82 in Alappuzha district, 80 from Kottayam district, 67 in Kozhikode district, 63 from Idukki district, 51 each from Palakkad and Kannur districts, 47 from Kasaragod district, 27 in Pathanamthitta district and 10 from Wayanad district.
 
This includes the test results of Rahiyanat (58) of Kollam district and Sadanandan (60) of Kannur district who died on July 21. The other deceased are Raveendran (73) of Thiruvananthapuram district, Koyutti (57) of Kozhikode district and Lakshmi Kunjan Pillai (79) of Ernakulam district.  So far 50 Covid related deaths have been reported in the State.
 
Those infected through contact are 206 in Thiruvananthapuram district, 103 from Kollam district, 98 in Ernakulam district, 56 from Kozhikode district, 52 in Kottayam district, 49 from Idukki district, 46 in Alappuzha district, 41 from Kasaragod district, 40 each in Thrissur and Palakkad districts, 29 from Malappuram district, 24 in Pathanamthitta district, 12 from Kannur district and three in Wayanad district.
 
32 healthcare workers were also infected – seven each in Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur districts, six from Idukki district, three each in Alappuzha and Kottayam districts, two from Kozhikode district, and one each in Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Kasaragod districts. In addition, three ITBP personnel in Alappuzha district, 12 Fire Force employees, nine KSE employees and two KLF employees in Thrissur district were also infected.
 
The district figures of those patients who tested negative are 95 from Ernakulam district, 60 in Thiruvananthapuram district, 45 from Palakkad district, 39 in Alappuzha district, 36 from Kasaragod district, 31 in Kollam district, 30 from Malappuram district, 25 in Kottayam district, 22 from Idukki district, 21 in Thrissur district, 16 from Kozhikode district, seven in Kannur district and five from Wayanad district. Till now, 6,596 patients have been cured of Coronavirus infection and 9,458 patients are still undergoing treatment.
 
There are currently 1,58,117 people under observation across the state, 1,48,763 in home or institutional quarantine and 9,354 in hospitals. 1,070 people were admitted to the hospital today.
 
22,433 samples were tested in the last 24 hours. So far, a total of 6,12,266 samples have been sent for testing and the results of 9,159 samples are yet to come. 1,07,066 samples collected from priority groups with more social exposure as part of Sentinel Surveillance and of these, 1,02,687 samples were negative.
 
20 new places were declared as hotspots today while six were excluded. The total number of hotspots in Kerala is now 428.
Kerala to set up Covid Brigade to power Covid First Line Treatment Centres: CM
 
Kerala Chief Minister, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan today announced the formation of Covid Brigade to man the Covid First-Line Treatment Centres (CFLTCs) in the State. The Covid Brigade will be set up by mobilising additional manpower resources in addition to the health department staff.
 
Briefing the media, the Chief Minister said, “More people are needed to strengthen Covid defensive operations in view of the rising numbers of cases. We have worked out an integrated action plan. In addition to the staff in the health department, more contract health workers, including those from the National Health Mission, will be appointed. They will get a higher salary, as determined from time to time and there will be a proportional increase. They will also be covered by health insurance and will be given incentives too. The Covid Brigade should be seen as an army that includes doctors, nurses, other paramedical staff as well as volunteers.”
 
The CM also informed that special health care will be provided to all contract employees in the Covid Brigade and they will be given free treatment if they become ill during their service. Certificates of appreciation will be given to students who have been involved in the Covid defence activities. The remuneration for those currently engaged in these activities will be increased. For those in the Grade 4 category, the current daily salary of Rs 450 will be increased to Rs 1,000. He also requested the support and participation of more people in this Covid Brigade.
 
50 per cent of active cases in just four districts
 
The Chief Minister today said at present half of the active cases are in Thiruvananthapuram, Malappuram, Alappuzha and Ernakulam districts.
 
“About 65% of the cases reported in the last two weeks are in Thiruvananthapuram, Malappuram, Alappuzha, Palakkad, Ernakulam and Kollam districts. This means that the situation in Kasargod district during the early stages of the Covid outbreak in the State is now is spreading to many other districts. We were able to control the spread of the disease initially by announcing a lockdown. However, the situation changed when more people started coming from outside. The Break the Chain campaign, social distancing and other safety measures were well implemented but that too has come down now. We are in the third phase of the outbreak in the State. We must strictly follow the Covid protocol, wear masks, wash hands and maintain social distancing. Our actions now will decide our future in the next few weeks”, he said.
 
The CM also requested all those who are able to volunteer to come forward to ensure the health of the whole community.

1,038 new cases & 272 recoveries today, total 8,818 patients under treatment
51 new hotspots, total 397 
Thiruvananthapuram, July 22: Chief Minister, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan informed that the number of active Covid-19 cases in Kerala has crossed the 1,000 mark for the first time as 1,038 cases were confirmed today. The total number of cases in the State is now 15,032.
 
Of the case detected today, 785 are contact cases and there are 57 cases with unknown source of infection. 87 are those who came back from foreign counties and 109 from other states. Meanwhile 272 patients have recovered from the disease today. The CM also offered his condolences on the death of Narayanan, a 75year old from Idukki district.
 
226 persons from Thiruvananthapuram district, 133 in Kollam district, 120 from Alappuzha district, 101 in Kasaragod district, 92 from Ernakulam district, 61 in Malappuram district, 56 from Thrissur district, 51 in Kottayam district, 49 from Pathanamthitta district. 43 in Idukki and Kannur districts, 34 from Palakkad district, 25 in Kozhikode district and four from Wayanad district are those who tested positive today.
 
The district-wise figures of the local transmission are 205 cases in Thiruvananthapuram district, 121 from Kollam district, 87 in Kasaragod district, 82 from Ernakulam district, 63 in Alappuzha district, 40 from Kottayam district, 36 in Pathanamthitta district, 31 from Malappuram district, 30 in Thrissur district, 28 from Idukki district, 25 in Palakkad district, 22 from Kozhikode district, 13 in Kannur district and two from Wayanad district.
 
24 healthcare workers are among those infected, 18 in Thiruvananthapuram district, three from Kannur district, two in Kasaragod district and one from Pathanamthitta district. In addition, 20 ITBP personnel in Alappuzha district, five DSC personnel in Kannur district, four KSE employees and one KLF employee in Thrissur district, were also infected.
 
52 patients from Malappuram district, 43 in Kasaragod district, 38 from Pathanamthitta district, 33 in Thrissur district, 19 from Alappuzha district, 18 in Ernakulam district, 15 from Palakkad district, 14 in Kozhikode district, 13 from Kollam district, 12 in Kottayam district, nine from Thiruvananthapuram district, five in Wayanad district and one from Idukki district are those whose test results were negative today. So far, 6,164 people have been cured of Coronavirus and at present, there are 8,818 patients undergoing treatment.
 
There are a total of 1,59,777 people under surveillance in various districts of the state, 1,50,746 are under observation at their homes or institutional quarantine centres and 9,031 are isolated in hospitals. 1,164 people were hospitalised today.
 
20,847 samples were tested in the last 24 hours. A total of 5,88,930 samples have so far been sent for testing and the results of 8,320 samples are awaited. Of these, 1,03,951 samples were collected from high-risk priority groups as part of Sentinel Surveillance and 99,499 samples were negative.
 
51 new places were assigned as hotspots today while seven were excluded. The total number of hotspots in Kerala is 397 now.
Kerala prepared to handle the current spike in Covid cases: Chief Minister 
Thiruvananthapuram, July 22: Kerala Chief Minister, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan today assured the people of the state that the government was fully geared up to handle the current spike in Covid cases.
 
Briefing the media, the Chief Minister said, “With the number of new active Covid cases in the state exceeding 1,000 in a day, the present situation and the details about the medical facilities need to be mentioned. Of the 8,056 Covid patients currently under treatment, 53 are in the ICU and nine are on the ventilator. The case per million in Kerala is 419.1 as against the national figure of 864.4.  the fatality rate in the State is 0.31 as compared to 2.41 in India. So far 86,959 persons have been identified as primary contacts and 37,937 people were identified as secondary contacts in the state. Of the total number of positive cases, 65.16% are currently locally acquired (locally transmitted) and Thiruvananthapuram district has the highest at 94.4%.”
 
In addition to the dedicated hospital beds for Covid treatment, 15,975 additional beds have been set up at the First Line Treatment Centres and of these, 4,535 are being currently used in treatment. The State has a stock of 3.42 lakhs N95 masks, 3.86 lakh PPE kits, 16.1 lakhs three-layer masks and 40.3 lakhs gloves for health workers. 80 ventilators have been purchased in the last few days. 270 ICU ventilators were given by the Central Government. Another 50 ventilators are expected from the central government within two weeks. Enough oxygen has been stocked to operate 6,007 ventilators day and night. Liquid oxygen facilities are available at seven medical college hospitals. 947 ambulances are ready specifically for Covid purpose.
 
“The e-Sanjeevini telemedicine system is functioning in all the districts and at present, there are 50 mobile medical units in operation. Work is underway to establish another 19.  We are prepared to face the current situation”, the CM added.
 
Kerala’s discharge policy for Covid patients 
The Chief Minister today clarified that Kerala’s discharge policy regarding Covid patients is different from the existing policies at the national level and in other states. As per national policy, a patient is discharged after 10 days of admission if there are no minor symptoms. Most states follow that method. Initially in Kerala, a patient was discharged only after two consecutive negative test results.
 
“Now, tests have been made mandatory in asymptomatic cases also in the updated guidelines of the Department of Health published yesterday. Patients will be discharged only if the antigen test is negative. Kerala has always followed a policy of discharging patients only after test negative. This is to ensure the safety of the community and to prevent the further spread of the disease. In the third phase of the Covid outbreak in the State, the numbers have been increasing rapidly and today it has cross 1,000.  A pandemic creates a complex situation”, the CM said.

 Free Onam provision kits for 88 lakhs ration card holders 
The Chief Minister today announced that grocery kits will be distributed free of cost to 88 lakhs ration cardholders during Onam, in the context of the Covid outbreak. The kit will contain 11 items. The distribution of the free Onam kit would start in the last week of August. In addition, 10 kg rice will be distributed in August at Rs. 15 per kg rate to non-priority sections who do not receive adequate ration.

720 new cases & 274 recoveries today, total 8,056 patients under treatment
22 new hotspots, total 353 
Thiruvananthapuram, July 21: Chief Minister, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan informed that 720 new active Covid-19 cases were confirmed in Kerala today and the total number of cases in the State is now 13,994.
 
Of the cases detected today, 528 are contact cases and the source of contact in 34 cases is unknown; 82 are those who arrived from abroad and 54 from other states. 17 healthcare workers, 29 DSC jawans, four ITBP personnel, four KSE employees and a KLF employee were also infected. The CM also condoled the death of Victoria, a 72year old from Thiruvananthapuram district. At the same time, the test results of 274 patients undergoing treatment were negative today.
 
The district-wise details of the positive cases are 151 persons from Thiruvananthapuram district, 85 in Kollam district, 80 from Ernakulam district, 61 in Malappuram district, 57 from Kannur district, 46 each in Alappuzha and Palakkad districts, 40 each from Pathanamthitta and Kasargod districts, 39 each in Kottayam and Kozhikode districts, 19 from Thrissur district and 17 in Wayanad district.
 
The details of those infected through contact are 144 in Thiruvananthapuram district, 79 from Kollam district, 72 in Ernakulam district, 36 each from Palakkad and Kasaragod districts, 35 in Kottayam district, 33 from Kozhikode district, 30 in Alappuzha district, 29 from Malappuram district, 21 in Pathanamthitta district, six from Wayanad district, five in Kannur district and two from Thrissur district.
 
The infected healthcare workers are five in Kannur district, three each from Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam districts, two in Kollam district, and one each in Thrissur, Kozhikode, Wayanad and Kasaragod districts.
 
70 patients from Alappuzha district, 51 in Malappuram district, 39 from Kozhikode district, 34 in Palakkad district, 14 from Wayanad district, 11 each in Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts, 10 each from Kottayam and Kannur districts, seven in Ernakulam district, six each from Thrissur and Kasaragod districts and five in Idukki district are those who tested negative today. So far, 5,892 people have recovered from Coronavirus and 8,056 patients are currently under treatment.
 
1,62,444 people are under surveillance across the state, 1,54,167 under observation at home or institutional quarantine and 8,277 are isolated in hospitals. 984 people were admitted to the hospital today.
 
During the last 24 hours, 19,524 samples were tested. Till now, a total of 5,67,278 samples have been sent for testing and the results of 7,410 samples are yet to come. Of these, 1,00,942 samples collected from high priority groups as part of Sentinel Surveillance and 96,544 samples were negative.
 
Today, 22 places were announced as hotspots while six were excluded. There are currently 353 hotspots in the State.

742 Covid First Line Treatment Centres to be operational in Kerala: CM 
Chief Minister, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan today announced that 742 Covid First Line Treatment Centres are expected to be ready by July 23. He also informed that there are 101 active clusters and 18 large community clusters. Most of these clusters are in the coastal areas of the State.
 
Addressing the media, the Chief Minister said, “There is no need for any concern about the medical and treatment facilities in view of the increasing numbers of Covid patients in the state. The setting up of Covid First-Line Treatment Centres (CFLTCs) under LSG bodies is progressing rapidly. Those who are antigen test positive, with no obvious symptoms or mild symptoms are admitted in CFLTCs.”
 
Giving details, the CM said that as on July 19, 20,404 beds were ready in 187 CFLTCs across the state. 305 doctors, 572 nurses, 62 pharmacists and 27 lab technicians have been assigned to the CFLTCs. 742 CFLTCs are expected to be ready by July 23 and this will increase the number of available beds to 69,215.
 
All CFLTCs will have the facility to conduct OP from morning to evening. Landline and internet facilities required for telemedicine will also be available. Ambulance facilities will be provided to each CFLTC. Those in isolation will get separate rooms with bathrooms. Arrangements are being made to ensure uninterrupted supply of water and electricity and supply of food. All CFLTCs will have facilities such as front office, doctor’s consulting room, nursing station, pharmacy, store, observation room, etc. Arrangements will be made for the scientific disposal of waste.
 
110 Testing Centres now in Kerala 
The Chief Minister today informed that at present, there are 59 testing centres in the government sector and 51 in the private sector. Initially, there was only PCR test but now all types of tests are being conducted.
 
“The number of testing centres and tests will be further increased. The tariff for Covid treatment in private hospitals has been fixed. Many private hospitals have now started Covid treatment centres. Two self-financed private medical colleges in Kannur and Wayanad have been set aside only for Kovid treatment”, he added.
 
The Chief Minister reiterated that some people are continuing to mislead the public through their propaganda. “The State has taken all efforts to contain the outbreak of the pandemic. The fight against Covid is similar to a marathon which is a true test of endurance. Kerala still has one of the lowest case-fatality rates in the world. The case fatality rate in Kerala is 0.33% much less than the national average. Even at this time, the low mortality rate in an area with such a high population density, geriatric population and high incidence of diseases indicates that Kerala’s defence is excellent. Kerala is also far ahead in testing. We perform 44 tests per positive case. The improved situation here is a result of the care and vigilance we have shown in combating the Covid pandemic. Kerala is the only state in India that traces secondary contacts. Very few places have shown the kind of caution and preparation that we have shown.”
 
Minister of Health & Social Justice, Smt K K Shailaja; Revenue Minister, Shri E Chandrasekharan, and Chief Secretary, Dr Vishwas Mehta IAS, were also present for the briefing.

Kerala Covid-19 Tracker: 593 new cases & 204 recoveries today, total 6,416 patients under treatment

20 new hotspots, total 299

Thiruvananthapuram, July 18: 593 new active cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in Kerala today. Giving details, Chief Minister, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan said, “The total number of confirmed cases in the State is now 11,659. Of the cases detected today, 364 are contact cases, 116 are those who came back from overseas and 90 from other states. 19 healthcare workers, one personnel each of DSC and Fire Force was also infected. There were two Covid related deaths, 70-year-old Arul Das and 60-year-old Babu Raj, both from Thiruvananthapuram districts. At the same time, 204 patients have recovered from the disease today.”

The district-wise figures of the positive cases are 173 persons from Thiruvananthapuram district, 53 in Kollam district, 49 from Palakkad district, 44 in Ernakulam district, 42 from Alappuzha district, 39 in Kannur district, 29 from Kasaragod district, 28 each in Pathanamthitta and Idukki districts. 26 each from Kozhikode and Wayanad districts, 21 in Thrissur district, 19 from Malappuram district and 16 in Kottayam district.

157 persons in Thiruvananthapuram district, 42 from Kollam district, 34 from Ernakulam district, 24 in Alappuzha district, 22 each from Kozhikode and Kasaragod districts, 17 in Idukki district, 14 from Pathanamthitta district, 11 in Wayanad district, eight from Thrissur district, five in Kannur district, four from Palakkad district, three in Malappuram district and one in Kottayam district are those infected through contact. Of these cases, the contact source of 36 is unknown.

The infected health workers are seven in Thiruvananthapuram district, four each from Ernakulam and Idukki districts, two in Kottayam district and one each from Alappuzha and Malappuram districts.

38 patients from Kannur district, 36 in Alappuzha district, 26 from Malappuram district, 25 in Palakkad district, 18 from Pathanamthitta district, 11 in Thrissur district, nine each from Ernakulam, Kozhikode and Kasaragod districts, seven in Thiruvananthapuram district, six each from Kottayam and Idukki districts, and four in Wayanad district are those who tested negative today. So far, 5,201 patients have been cured of Coronavirus and 6,416 patients are presently under treatment.

There are a total of 1,73,932 persons under surveillance in various districts of the state. 1,67,091 are under home or institutional quarantine and 6,841 are under observation in hospitals. 1,053 people were admitted to the hospital today.

During the last 24 hours, 18,967 samples were tested. A total of 5,14,140 samples have so far been sent for testing and the results of 7,016 samples are awaited. Of these, 92,312 samples were collected from high-risk groups of people with more public exposure as part of Sentinel Surveillance and 87,653 samples were negative.

20 new places were designated as hotspots today while six were exempted from the list. Currently, there are 299 hotspots in Kerala.
Covid First-Line Treatment Centres getting ready across the State: Kerala CM
Kerala Chief Minister, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan today informed that Covid First-Line Treatment Centres are being set up across the State as part of strengthening the medical infrastructure facilities and to meet the needs of the rapidly increasing numbers of Coronavirus patients.

Addressing the media, the Chief Minister said, “Covid First-Line Treatment Centres are public health centres specially designed to combat the Covid outbreak. These are used as regional centres with essential facilities that do not affect the functioning of the existing public health system in the event of a community spread.”

Local Self Government bodies have identified hotels, halls, and colleges for setting up first-line treatment centres. These centres functioning under the respective LSG bodies will be supervised by the concerned Primary/Family/Community Health Centres or Taluk Hospitals. Medicines, Pulse Oximeters, BP apparatus and other required medical equipments are being set up here. The activities are led by expert health professionals.

Once the test result is reported positive from the District Control Room or the relevant health facility, the patient will be transferred to Covid First-Line Treatment Centre in a specially equipped ambulance.

“In the current situation, those who have an antigen test positive and no symptoms will have to be taken to the First Line Treatment Centers. People who do not have symptoms are more likely to get the disease. In this way, there is potential for community spread. Therefore, it is advisable for those who are positive with no symptoms to be shifted to these centres. Such people should follow the instructions of the health workers and go without any objection. Once the test result is negative, they will be sent back home from the Centres as per the government norms”, the CM said.

Severely ill patients are treated in Covid hospitals with ventilator-ICU facilities and less critically ill patients will be treated at Covid First-Line Treatment Centres. Two Covid hospitals and first-line Covid treatment centres have been set up in each of the districts.

“Private hospitals are also allowed to treat Covid patients. The Departments of Health, Local Self Government and Disaster Management are jointly setting up more treatment centres with 50,000 beds. Small and medium private hospitals will be also be allowed to run the first line Covid treatment centres”, the CM added.

The CM also warned the hypermarkets for operating ignoring the legal instructions and warnings of the government and the police regarding the lockdown. There has been an increase in Covid cases because of their irresponsible actions. He directed the police to take strict action against the owners and operators of these establishments under the relevant laws, including the Kerala Infectious Diseases Ordinance.

Kerala Covid-19 Tracker: 791 new cases & 133 recoveries today, total 6,029 patients under treatment
20 new hotspots, total 285
Thiruvananthapuram, July 17: Chief Minister, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan today said that the situation in some places in the coastal areas of Thiruvananthapuram district is serious and Covid-19 is spreading at a very fast rate. “The large numbers of cases in these areas are an indication of the disease spread. We can say there is a community spread in these places. The government is taking steps to coordinate all the efforts to face this serious situation.”

791 new cases of Coronavirus infection were confirmed in Kerala today and the total number of confirmed cases in the State is 11,066. Of the cases detected today, 532 are cases of infection through contact and there are 42 cases where the source of infection is unknown. 135 cases are returnees from overseas and 98 from other states. 15 healthcare workers, seven KSC employees and one personnel each of ITBP, BSF and Fire Force were also infected.

The Chief Minister also conveyed his condolences on the death of Shaiju and Murali from Thrissur district. Murali had returned from Saudi Arabia.

The district-wise figures of those who tested positive today are 246 persons from Thiruvananthapuram district, 115 in Ernakulam district, 87 from Pathanamthitta district, 57 in Alappuzha district, 47 from Kollam district, 39 in Kottayam district, 32 each from Thrissur, Kozhikode and Kasaragod districts, 31 in Palakkad district, 28 from Wayanad district, 25 in Malappuram district, 11 from Idukki district and nine in Kannur district.

240 people in Thiruvananthapuram district, 84 from Ernakulam district, 56 in Pathanamthitta district, 46 from Alappuzha district, 29 in Kollam district, 23 from Kasaragod district, 14 in Kozhikode district, nine from Kottayam district, eight each in Malappuram and Wayanad districts, seven from Thrissur district, six in Idukki district and one each from Palakkad and Kannur districts are those infected through contact.

The 15 infected health workers are four in Thiruvananthapuram district, three each from Kottayam, Ernakulam and Malappuram districts, and one each in Pathanamthitta and Kasaragod districts.

At the same time, the test results of 133 patients under treatment were negative today. 32 patients each from Thrissur and Malappuram districts, nine each in Kozhikode and Kasaragod districts, eight each from Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam and Kannur districts, seven in Kollam district, six from Alappuzha district, five each in Idukki and Ernakulam districts and four from Wayanad district were those who recovered from Covid. At present, 6,029 patients are still undergoing treatment for the disease.

There are a total of 1,78,481 people under observation in various districts of the state, 1,72,357 in home or institutional quarantine and 6,124 in isolation at hospitals. 1,152 persons were admitted to the hospital today.

In the last 24 hours, 16,642 samples were tested. A total of 4,89,395 samples have been sent for testing so far and the results of 7,610 samples are yet to come. Of these, 88,903 samples were collected from high-risk groups as part of Sentinel Surveillance and 84,454 samples were negative.

20 new places were declared as hotspots today while six were exempted. There are 285 hotspots in the State now.Community spread in two coastal areas in Thiruvananthapuram district
The Chief Minister informed that community spread has occurred in two places in the coastal areas of Thiruvananthapuram district. Poonthura, Pulluvilla and its nearby places have seen a rapid increase in the number of contact cases.

“We are moving to the next stage. There will be more restrictions in the capital district, which has a serious outbreak of the disease. Of the 246 positive cases in the district today, only two came from abroad. 237 cases were due to contact. Four healthcare workers were also infected and the source of three cases are unknown. This is an unusual situation. A total lockdown will be implemented in the coastal areas from tomorrow. To implement this effectively, the coastline was divided into three zones. The first zone is from Anchuthengu to Perumatura. The second zone is from Perumatura to Vizhinjam and the third zone is from Vizhinjam to Urampu. A special police force has been set up to control the situation. IAS officers have been designated as Incident Commanders. The District Disaster Management Authority will announce the lockdown guidelines”, the CM said.

The preventive measures will be taken jointly by the health department, police, corporation and panchayats. The services of Janamaithri police officers will also be utilized for the implementation of this system. The work of setting up the First-Line Treatment Centers is being completed expeditiously.

The CM also added, “There will be only cluster-based lockdown now and we are no thinking of full lockdown. I can assure you that the situation is as expected and we are prepared to handle it. We were able to contain the spread till now.”

Kerala Covid-19 Tracker: 722 new cases & 228 recoveries today, total 5,372 patients under treatment
35 new hotspots, total 271
722 new active Covid-19 cases were detected in Kerala today even as 228 patients have recovered. Sharing the details, Chief Minister, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan said, “The situation in the State is changing fast. The number of new cases being reported in a single day has crossed 700 and the total number of confirmed cases in the State has crossed 10,000. As of today, there are 10,275 cases.”

The Chief Minister also condoled the deaths of B Aneesh, a 39-year-old from Thrissur district who had returned from Chennai and 25-year-old Mohammed Saleek from Kannur district who had arrived from Ahmadabad.
157 of those diagnosed today have come back from foreign countries and 66 from other states. 481 are contact cases and there are 34 cases without any known source of infection. 12 healthcare workers, five BSP personnel and three ITBP personnel were also infected.
339 persons from Thiruvananthapuram district, 57 in Ernakulam district, 42 each from Kollam and Malappuram districts, 39 in Pathanamthitta district, 33 from Kozhikode district, 32 in Thrissur district, 26 from Idukki district, 25 from Palakkad district, 23 in Kannur district, 20 from Alappuzha district, 18 in Kasaragod district and 13 each from Kottayam and Wayanad districts were those who tested positive today.
317 people in Thiruvananthapuram district, 50 from Ernakulam district, 24 in Kollam district, 20 from Pathanamthitta district, 13 in Idukki district, 11 from Kasaragod district, eight each in Thrissur, Kozhikode and Kannur districts, seven each from Alappuzha and Kottayam districts, six in Malappuram district and two from Palakkad district are those infected through contact. The 12 infected health workers are five from Thiruvananthapuram district, two each in Kottayam and Malappuram districts, and one each in Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Ernakulam districts.
The district-wise figures of those patients who tested negative today are 72 from Palakkad district, 37 in Malappuram district, 23 from Kasaragod district, 18 in Pathanamthitta district, 17 from Kollam district, 13 in Alappuzha district, 10 from Kozhikode district, eight each in Thrissur and Kannur districts, seven each from Kottayam and Ernakulam districts, six in Idukki district and one each from Thiruvananthapuram and Wayanad districts. So far 4,864 people have been cured of Coronavirus and presently, 5,372 people are undergoing treatment.
There are a total of 1,83,900 people under surveillance in various districts of the state. 1,78,468 are under observation at their homes or institutional quarantine centres and 5,432 are isolated in hospitals. 804 persons were hospitalised today.
16,052 samples were tested during the last 24 hours. A total of 4,72,271 samples have so far been sent for testing and of these, the results of 7,797 samples are awaited. 85,767 samples were collected from people with high public exposure as part of Sentinel Surveillance and 81,543 samples were confirmed with no infection.
35 new hotspots were announced today while five places were exempted from the list. Overall, there are 271 hotspots in Kerala now.
Ten large community clusters in State, total 84 clusters: Kerala CM
Thiruvananthapuram, July 16: Kerala Chief Minister, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan today informed that there are at present ten large community clusters out of a total of 84 clusters in the State. These are places where the outbreak of the Coronavirus is occurring fast. “There is a possibility of spread happening in these places without visible symptoms. Therefore, people from all walks of life should take preventive measures, assuming that there are patients in their community, whether or not they have been diagnosed with the disease.”

The Chief Minister asked the people to make ‘Break the Chain’, a lifestyle habit. Social distancing, washing hands, and wearing a mask should be made a habit. Everyone should be careful not to ostracise Covid patients and their families. They should be given all possible support they need.

“The experience of Thiruvananthapuram teaches us that the spread of the disease can happen through markets, businesses and hospitals. Public gathering of any kind should be avoided and make sure that sanitizers are available for the public. Everyone should make it a priority to prevent the spread of disease in the society”, said the CM

Recognising the seriousness of the Covid spread, the CM also urged the public to take up the third phase of the ‘Break the Chain’ campaign into a massive popular movement and make it a success.

“In the new situation, the number of tests will be increased as much as possible and steps will be taken to get the result faster. The required manpower will be increased. Private labs will be utilised to the maximum and more testing centres will be started on a priority basis.

Covid first-line treatment centres in all the Panchayats
The Chief Minister also announced that work is underway to set up first-line treatment centres in all the panchayats. A centre with at least 100 beds will be started in each panchayat. The additional health workers required for its implementation will also be mobilised, especially those who can be deployed on an emergency basis.

“A decision was made to mobilize all the health workers and expand our Covid preventive measures. We can only move forward with an inclusive system that can deploy not only those associated with government hospitals but also those working in private hospitals and clinics in the health sector, including students. We expect the private hospitals and clinics will cooperate well with this. The LSG bodies will take the initiative for implementing this”, the CM said.

The Chief Minister also added that some people are spreading false and misleading information about Covid and asked the public to be cautious against such propaganda. “We have been able to effectively control the death toll from Covid so far as a result of the tireless efforts and the vigilance of our society. Kerala’s population density is almost double the national average and this makes it vulnerable to the disease spreading fast. If so, the mortality rate will definitely increase. Any carelessness on our part can lead to a disaster.”

The CM also announced that separate quarantine centres would be set up for police personnel in all the 14 districts.

Minister of Health & Social Justice, Smt K K Shailaja; Revenue Minister, Shri E Chandrasekharan, and Chief Secretary, Dr Vishwas Mehta IAS, were also present for the media briefing.

Kerala Covid-19 Tracker: 623 new cases & 196 recoveries today, total 4,880 patients under treatment
16 new hotspots, total 234
Chief Minister, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan informed that 623 new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in Kerala today while 196 patients have recovered. 432 are cases of infection through contact and there are 37 cases where the source of infection is unknown. 96 of those diagnosed today are returnees from overseas and 76 from other states. Nine healthcare workers and an equal number of DSC personnel were also infected. The CM also condoled the demise of 59-year-old Valsamma Joy from Idukki district.

Addressing the media, the Chief Minister said, “The situation is still under control even though super spread has happened and clusters have formed in a few places. It is a matter of concern that the numbers have increased. We should exercise more restrictions to contain the spread. Everyone should cooperate and we will be able to restrict the spread without going to the next stage of community spread. At the same time, steps are being taken to increase testing capabilities.”

The district-wise details of the positive cases are 157 from Thiruvananthapuram district, 74 in Kasargod district, 72 from Ernakulam district, 64 each in Pathanamthitta and Kozhikode districts, 55 from Idukki district, 35 in Kannur district, 25 from Kottayam district, 20 in Alappuzha district. 19 from Palakkad district, 18 in Malappuram district, 11 from Kollam district, five in Thrissur district and four from Wayanad district.

137 persons in Thiruvananthapuram district, 64 from Ernakulam district, 63 in Kozhikode district, 57 from Kasargod district, 42 in Pathanamthitta district, 23 from Idukki district, 21 in Kottayam district, eight from Kollam district, six in Alappuzha district, four from Malappuram district, three in Kannur district and two each from Thrissur and Palakkad districts were those infected through contact.

53 patients from Palakkad district, 44 in Malappuram district, 19 from Pathanamthitta district, 17 in Kasargod district, 15 from Kozhikode district, 13 in Kottayam district, 11 from Thiruvananthapuram district, 10 in Kannur district, eight from Kollam district, three in Idukki district and one each from Ernakulam, Thrissur and Wayanad districts are those who tested negative today.

Till now, 9,553 Covid cases were confirmed in the State and 4,880 patients are still undergoing treatment. 4,636 have been cured of Coronavirus.

There are at present 1,84,601 people under surveillance in various districts of the state, 1,79,612 in home or institutional quarantine and 4,989 in isolation at hospitals. 602 persons were admitted to the hospital today.

In the last 24 hours, 16,444 samples were tested. A total of 4,53,716 samples have so far been sent for testing and the results of 7,485 samples are expected. Of these, 82,568 samples were collected from high-risk groups as part of Sentinel Surveillance, of which 78,415 samples were negative.

There are 16 new hotspots today while nine places have been exempted from the list. There are 234 hotspots in Kerala now.

Additional funds for LSG bodies in Kerala for Covid prevention work
Kerala Chief Minister, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan today informed that Local Self Government (LSG) bodies in the State who are at the forefront of Covid defence activities and services would have no restrictions on their expenses related to preventive measures.

Briefing media, the Chief Minister said, “Two instalments of plan allocations have already been released and the third instalment for local bodies will be released next week. LSG bodies can spend from the plan fund on setting up quarantine and reverse quarantine facilities, give additional assistance to Covid hospitals, set up first-line treatment centres and run community kitchens without the prior approval of the District Planning Committee. The necessary arrangements will be made in the treasury and the district planning committees would regularise such projects later. The project expenses will be reimbursed from the Disaster Relief Fund.”

LSG Secretaries should submit the relevant documents and the remaining amount will be allocated as part of the plan outlay. District Collectors have been directed to obtain the required additional funds from the Disaster Relief Fund. They will also receive additional funding from the CMDRF to spend as needed.

“LSG bodies should not face financial difficulties and Covid preventive measures should not suffer because there is no money. All the local bodies should move forward with more vigour in the Covid defence activities”, the CM added.

750 bedded Covid first-line treatment centre at Karyavattom Greenfield stadium
As part of strengthening the medical infrastructure facilities in the capital city, the Chief Minister today announced that a 750-bedded Covid First-Line Treatment Centre with state-of-the-art facilities is being set up in Thiruvananthapuram district on an emergency basis. This will be set up at the Karyavattom Greenfield Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram and its adjoining complex, including the International Convention Center.

“The treatment centre at Greenfield stadium is being set up as an immediate solution to the recent increase in the number of Covid patients in the capital district. The centre will be able to accommodate 500 to 750 patients at a time. Swab collection facility will also available there. All the facilities will be similar to the Covid First-Line Treatment Center set up at the Adlux Convention Center near Angamaly in Ernakulam district”, the CM said.
Two months Social Welfare Pension disbursal by month-end
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has announced that the social welfare pension for the last two months will be disbursed by the end of this month. The pension for May and June would benefit about 45 lakhs people. About 11 lakhs people will get the pension from welfare fund boards. Rs. 1,165 crores will be required for social security pension and Rs. 160 crores for welfare fund boards. The government has approved the funds for disbursal. The deadline for mustering is July 22.

Kerala Covid-19 Tracker: 608 new cases & 181 recoveries today, total 4,454 patients under treatment
19 new hotspots, total 227

608 new active cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in Kerala today. Briefing the media, Chief Minister, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan said, “The situation is very serious and it is a matter of grave concern. Today’s number is the highest count of new positive cases being reported on a single day in the State so far. Of the total cases detected today, Thiruvananthapuram district itself accounts for 201 cases. The spread of Covid is becoming severe every day.” He also condoled the death of Nazeer, a 47 year old from Alappuzha district who had come back from abroad.

130 of those diagnosed today have come back from overseas while 68 have returned from other states. 396 are contact cases. Eight health workers, a BSF jawan and two personnel each from ITBP and CISF are also infected. There are 26 cases where the source of infection is unknown.

201 persons from Thiruvananthapuram district, 70 in Ernakulam district, 58 each from Malappuram and Kozhikode districts, 44 in Kasargod district, 42 from Thrissur district, 34 in Alappuzha district, 26 from Palakkad district, 25 in Kottayam district, 23 from Kollam district, 12 each in Wayanad and Kannur districts, and three from Pathanamthitta district are those who tested positive for Coronavirus today.

177 people in Thiruvananthapuram district, 58 from Ernakulam district, 53 in Kozhikode district, 32 from Thrissur district, 22 in Malappuram district, 20 from Kasargod district, 17 in Alappuzha district, 12 from Kollam district, three in Kottayam district and one each from Palakkad and Kannur districts are those infected through contact.

Meanwhile, the test results of 181 patients undergoing treatment were negative today. 49 patients each from Palakkad and Kannur districts, 21 in Kozhikode district, 17 from Alappuzha district, 15 in Thiruvananthapuram district, nine each from Thrissur and Malappuram districts, five each in Kottayam and Kasargod districts and two from Kollam district are those who recovered from Covid.

The total number of Covid cases confirmed so far in the State is 8,930 and at present, 4,454 patients are under treatment for the same.

There are currently 1,81,847 people under surveillance in various districts of the state. 1,77,067 are under observation in home or institutional quarantine and 4,780 are isolated in hospitals. 720 persons were hospitalised today.

During the last 24 hours, 14,227 samples were analysed. A total of 4,35,043 samples have been sent for testing so far and the results of 7,745 samples are yet to come. As part of Sentinel Surveillance, 79,723 samples were collected from priority groups and 75,338 samples being negative.

19 new places were designated as hotspots today while 10 were excluded from the list. There are 227 hotspots in Kerala now.Kerala now in third phase of Covid outbreak, more caution needed: CM

Kerala Chief Minister, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan today said that the State is in the third phase of the outbreak of Covid pandemic and people need to be very cautious to stop community spread.

Briefing the media about the daily Covid situation in the State, the Chief Minister said, “Clusters of the disease spread has been found in Thiruvananthapuram, Malappuram and few other districts. The next stage is community spread and we should avoid it. The numbers of contact cases are increasing by the day and it is being caused by negligence and carelessness on the part of the public”.

Explaining the stages, the CM said, “According to the World Health Organization, there are four stages to the spread of the disease. First is a no patient scenario, second is a sporadic spread where patients coming from outside the community spread the disease in the community, third is the spread of the disease to certain populations and clusters, and fourth is widespread community spread. We are now facing the third stage.”

It has been more than six months since Covid preventive measures began in the State. The disease is spreading more and more every day and one assessment is that disease control can only be achieved by the end of this year. It is quite natural for healthcare workers to feel fatigued since they have to work hard for such a long time.

In view of the increasing outbreak of Covid, the present activities of the local bodies and the people’s representatives should be further expanded and strengthened to contain its spread. “LSG bodies are local regional governments and the basic foundation of our democratic setup is ward. Hence the Ward Member and Council Member play an important role in Covid preventive measures”, he added.

Elaborate arrangement for Kerala Engineering Architecture Medical entrance

The Kerala Engineering Architecture Medical (KEAM) entrance examination for admissions to the 2020-21 academic year will be held as scheduled on 16 July 2020. Apart from all the districts in Kerala, there are exam centres in Delhi, Mumbai and Dubai, and 1,10,250 students are expected to appear for KEAM examination outside the State.

The Chief Minister informed that in addition to Containment Zones and Hotspots, preparations are being made for the entrance exam in the triple lockdown areas by taking additional precautions to prevent the spread of Covid. The entrance examination will be conducted in an impeccable manner ensuring the complete safety of the students and allaying the concerns of the parents.

Police assistance will be provided to avoid crowding at examination centres and bus stops. The Fire Force will disinfect and sanitise all centres before and after the test. About 3,000 volunteers will also be deployed for the thermal scanning and sanitizing of the candidates.

Separate rooms will be provided for out-of-state students and students coming from quarantine. KSRTC will run special services to the examination centres in the morning and evening as per the requirement of the students. In addition, KSRTC has also prepared a ‘Bus on Demand’ scheme.

70 students from coastal areas of Thiruvananthapuram district can appear for the examinations at St. Anthony’s HHS, Valiyathura. For students in Delhi and NCR region, the JC Bose University of Science &Technology at Faridabad will be the new centre.

The CM also added that Short Visit Pass will be made available to students from other states through the Covid Jagratha portal.