Kerala reported its highest single-day increase of people who tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday with as many as 111 new patients. Three health professionals were among those who tested positive on Friday.
Palakkad (40) reported the maximum number of cases. As many as 50 people who tested positive have come from abroad while 48 others have come to Kerala from other states.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said, “ The situation is very serious. We all must introspect whether our alertness is coming down.”
As of now, 973 persons are undergoing treatment for the disease in the state, which has 128 hotspots.
Meanwhile, 22 people recovered from the disease on Friday.
The state has decided to increase the number of antibody tests to verify if there has been community spread as the number of cases continues to increase. The CM, however, said community spread is yet to happen in the state. “But we are on the verge of it. Experts say it is bound to happen. We must try our best not to let it happen,'' he added.
The chief minister has said the Indian Council of Medical Research has offered 15,000 testing kits to the state today.
Around one lakh more NRKs are expected to arrive in the state from hotspots in the Gulf. “This is bound to increase the numbers. But it is our responsibility to welcome them all,'' Vijayan said.
The state has also tightened the monitoring. On Friday, 365 persons were fined for not wearing masks and 13 others were arrested for violating quarantine protocols.
The state, as per the Centre's directive, has decided to open up religious institutions from June 9. As per the directive, those below 10 and above 65 would not be allowed to visit places of worship. Besides, a maximum of only 100 persons are allowed inside the religious centres at a time.
Religious centres will be responsible for recording the address and other details of everyone who is coming to pray there.
Malls, shopping complexes and restaurants will also be opened from June 9 with certain restrictions in the numbers.
“COVID-19 will be with us for a long time. So, we have to learn to live with it,'' said CM when asked about IMA's opinion that temples and churches getting opened.
