Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala reported 300 fresh COVID-19 infections and three deaths due to the disease in the last 24 hours, according to data on the Union Health Ministry website on Thursday.
Of the 358 COVID infections reported nationwide till 8 am today, 300 were from Kerala, taking the active cases in the state to 2,341, as per the Ministry website.
With the three deaths reported in the state, the total number of people who have died due to coronavirus in Kerala since its outbreak three years ago reached 72,059.
Amid rising concerns over the emergence of the new variant of the Coronavirus, a Kerala-based health expert said on Wednesday that Covid is like any other communicable disease that cannot be wiped out completely adding that the strike rate of the disease has come down.
The number of people who were cured, discharged or migrated in the last 24 hours after being diagnosed with the infection stood at 211. With that, the total number of cases under this category rose to 68,37,414 till date.
On Tuesday, state Health Minister Veena George said that despite the increase in COVID cases in Kerala, there was nothing to be concerned about as the hospitals were well-prepared to handle the virus infection.
"Covid is just like any other communicable disease that cannot be wiped out completely. However, the strike of the disease has come down, and the mortality that means the people who succumbed to the disease is not as high as what it used to be. It is now just like any other influenza or any other common cold," Dr Sreejith N Kumar was qouted to ANI as saying.
Meanwhile, the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday chaired a high-level meeting to review the COVID-19 situation in India and the preparedness of the public health system for surveillance, containment and management of COVID-19 given the recent spike in cases of COVID-19 in some states.
The Union Health Minister urged all the states to remain alert, increase surveillance and ensure an adequate stock of medicines, oxygen cylinders and concentrators, ventilators and vaccines. Reiterating the need for joint efforts between the Centre and States to ensure efficient management of COVID-19, Mandaviya said, "Let us undertake mock drills once every three months at both the central and state levels and share best practices. (With Agency Inputs)
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