41,953 new COVID-19 cases, 58 deaths in Kerala on Wednesday

Kerala recorded 41,953 COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, pushing the caseload to 17,43,932.

As many as 23,106 people were cured of the infection, taking the total recoveries to 13,62,363. The active cases touched 3,75,658, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said during his customary sunset briefing.

In the last 24 hours, 1,63,321 samples were tested and the test positivity rate was 25.69 per cent.

With 58 deaths being reported on Wednesday, the state's death toll has risen to 5,565.

Key points from the CM's press meet:

• We are going through very serious phase as coronavirus pandemic is raging through the state. Test Positivity Rate is still increasing.

• Experts say no issues in taking second dose vaccine shot delayed.

• COVID cases are increasing in Alappuzha district. Government is looking into it. • Hostels and lodges in the state to be turned into CFLTCs.

• KSEB and Water Authority to stop collecting pending payments.

• KMSCL, ConsumerFed, SupplyCo, private agencies, NGOs, political parties and Malayali Associations will be allowed to act as govt approved relief agencies for next two months.

• Govt has requested RBI to instruct banks to stop loan recoveries.

• There are 2,857 ICU beds in government hospitals. Out of this, 996 are occupied by COVID patients and 756 by other patients. 38.7 per cent ICU beds are available now.

• In private hospitals, there are 7,085 ICU beds and 1,037 among them are occupied by COVID-19 patients.

• Oxygen beds – 21.28 per cent occupied in government hospitals and 66.12 per cent in private hospitals.

• Fire auditing will be conducted in all hospitals in the state.

• Alappuzha district panchayat have launched 16 ambulances for COVID fight

• 25 per cent beds in private hospitals are now reserved for COVID-19 treatment. This will be increased to 50 per cent.

Of the positive cases, 117 were health workers, while 283 had come from outside the state and 38,896 infected through contact. The source of infection of 2,657 among them is unknown.

No UK returnee has tested positive for the virus in the last 24 hours.

Request to PM Modi

Earlier, the chief minister had requested the Centre to provide at least 1,000 tonnes of imported Liquid Medical Oxygen and 75 lakh doses of vaccine in view of the surge in COVID-19 cases.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vijayan also sought PSA plants, oxygen concentrators and ventilators on a priority basis, considering the fact that Kerala has one of the highest active caseloads in the country.

Since the overall projected requirement of liquid medical oxygen in the state is rising, the buffer storage within the state needs to be augmented urgently keeping in view the depletion of storage due to heavy daily demand, he said.

"In order to augment the storage, we require at least 1,000 tonnes of imported Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO). I request that the ministry of external affairs may be advised to allot the required quantity partially from the current tranche of imports and balance from future imports," the chief minister said.

Allotment of 500 MT of LMO from the nearest steel plant to the state may also be advised, he said in the letter.

On vaccination, the Kerala CM asked the Centre to take into account the number of persons awaiting second dose of vaccination as also the number of those registered for the first dose, while determining further allotment of vaccines to various states. "Accordingly, I request the allotment of 50 lakh doses of Covishield and 25 lakh doses of Covaxin to Kerala," Vijayan said.