Kerala's daily COVID-19 infection tally touches three digits--111; CM terms situation grim

After 111 positive cases have been reported in Kerala which took the total number of COVID-19 cases in the state to 1,699, CM Vijayan expressed his concern by describing the situation as grim. This is the first time that Kerala touched three digits with the state recording 111 cases on June 5.

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala): For the first time, Kerala's COVID-19 daily figures touched three digits with the state recording 111 cases, prompting Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to term the situation grim.

The surge in positive cases has pushed the infection count to 1,699 while 1.77 lakh people are under observation.

On May 8, Kerala had declared that it had flattened the coronavirus curve after reporting a solitary case and just 16 people under treatment.

However, with more people coming to the state from abroad and other states, the cases have seen a sudden spike.

Expressing concern at the increasing graph of the virus infections, Vijayan said it had nearly doubled since June 1 when 57 positive cases were detected in the state after which there has been a steady climb -- with 86 cases on June 2, 82 on June 3 and 94 on June 4.

He described the COVID-19 situation in the state as grim.

Twentytwo people have recovered from the infection and 973 people are presently under treatment, Vijayan told reporters.

Three health workers were among those who tested positive, he said.

Of the positive cases, 50 had come from abroad and 48 from other states, including Maharashtra 25, Tamil Nadu 10, Karnataka three and Delhi four.

Giving the break-up of cases, Vijayan said Palakkad reported the highest number of cases 40, followed by Malappuram 18, Pathanamthitta 11, Ernakulam 10, Thrissur eight, Thiruvananthapuram five, Alappuzha five, Kozhikode four, Idukki three, Kollam two, Wayanad three, Kottayam and Kasaragod one each.

Of the 1.77 lakh under observation, 1,545 are in hospitals, including 247 admitted till date and remaining in-home or institutional quarantine facilities.

(PTI report)