Kerala registers highest single-day spike with 5,376 new COVID-19 cases

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], September 23 (ANI): Kerala reported its highest single-day spike of 5,376 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday taking the active count to 42,786, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan informed today.
The death toll touched 592 which included 20 deaths and 2,591 recovered cases in the past 24 hours.
"This is the first time the number of cases has crossed the 5,000-mark in the state. The increase in numbers is a matter of grave concern as the situation is not improving. In the last 24 hours, 51,200 tests were conducted against our target of 50,000. For now, people who test positive for COVID-19 but are asymptomatic and have facilities at home should continue in home isolation. The home environment would help them recover fast. This would also lessen the burden on the hospitals and would facilitate the treatment of those with symptoms and having other diseases," Vijayan said while briefing the media.
Of the new cases, 4,424 are cases of infection through contact and the contact source of 640 was not traceable (total of 5,064 contact cases). While 99 healthcare workers were among those infected. Meanwhile, 20 deaths were reported today even as 2,951 patients have recovered from the disease.
The district-wise numbers for the positive cases today are Thiruvananthapuram (852), Ernakulam (624), Malappuram (512), Kozhikode (504), Kollam (503), Alappuzha (501), Thrissur (478), Kannur (365), Palakkad (278), Kottayam (262), Pathanamthitta (223), Kasargod (136), Idukki (79) and Wayanad (59).
The Kerala CM said that there are a total of 2,12,629 persons under observation across the state, 1,86,140 under home or institutional quarantine, and 26,489 in hospitals. 3,131 people were admitted to the hospitals today.
Till now, a total of 25,45,385 samples have been sent for testing, including 1,98,189 samples from priority groups as part of Sentinel Surveillance.

Today 17 new places were demarcated as hotspots while 15 areas were excluded. At present, there are 641 hotspots in Kerala. (ANI)