Kerala Covid Update: A New High With 31,445 Fresh Cases In 24 Hours, 215 Deaths

New positive cases push Kerala's test positivity rate to 19.03 per cent. Highest number of Covid cases recorded in Ernakulam district with 4,048 people testing positive.

COVID-19 testing

Chennai: Days after Kerala's Onam festival, the state once again reported a new high on Wednesday with 31,445 people testing positive for Covid-19, taking the total number of active cases to 1,70,292.

 A release from Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the state tested 1,65,273 samples on Tuesday and the new positive numbers revealed an increase in the test positivity rate to 19.03 per cent. Such a high TPR was last recorded in May this year when it was 19 per cent. 

According to reports, the number of deaths in the state also witnessed a new high with 215 people succumbing to the virus. With the new high, the overall deaths due to the novel coronavirus infection in the state stands at 19,972. 

On Wednesday, the highest number of novel coronavirus cases was recorded in Ernakulam district with 4,048 people testing positive for the virus. The state also registered 20,271 recoveries.

Opposition leader VD Satheesan slammed CM Pinarayi Vijayan for the way the government is handling the pandemic. He demanded Vijayan to break his silence on the increasing COVID-19 cases. 

Kerala is leading in all indicators in the country and the figures show that COVID is raging, he said, adding that the committee to look into the COVID-19 affairs should be reconstituted since it has failed miserably. 

Satheesan also said they do not have any intention to politicise the issue but they want the suffering of the people to end.  Till now, Pinarayi Vijayan has not met the press to speak on the issue, and has been only issuing a media bulletin on COVID-19 numbers.a