131 new COVID-19 cases in Kerala tally now 4 442 COVID

Thiruvananthapuram, June 30 (PTI): Kerala's COVID-19
tally touched 4,442 with 131 people, including nine CISF
personnel from Kannur, testing positive on Tuesday, as the
Indian Medical Association (IMA) sounded that there were
indications of community spread.
     The death toll in the state has climbed to 24 with
the samples of a 76-year-old man, who died on June27 after
reaching here from Mumbai, testing positive today.
Of the fresh positive cases, 65 had come from abroad
and 46 from other states, Health minister K K Shailaja said in
a press release.
     Ten have been infected through contact.
     According to the release, 2,112 people have
recoveredfrom the infection, including 75 who were
dischargedtoday,while at least 2,304 are presently under
treatment.
     In Malappuram, where triple lockdown is in
force, over 31,000 people are under observation, and 32 cases
were reported today.
     Today Kannur reported 26 cases, Palakkad 17,
Kollam 12, Ernakulam 10, Alappuzha nine, Kasaragod eight,
Thiruvananthapuram five, Thrissur and Kozhikode four each,
Kottayam three and Pathnamthitta one .
     At least 1,84,6576 people are under observation,
of whom 1,81,876 are in home/institutional quarantine and
2,781 in hospitals, including 330 who were hospitalised today.
     In the last 24 hours, 6076 samples have been
tested.
     According to the release, samples of 2,31,570
people have been tested so far and results of 3872 are
awaited.
     The total hotspotsas of today touched 127.
     Palakkad has the highest number of total cases--
277, Malappuram 244, Kannur 204, Kollam 193.
     In Kannur, 22,664 people are under observation
while in Thiruvananthapuram it is 21,424.
     The Indian Medical Association, Kerala
chapter, has written to Chief Minister Pinarayi
Vijayan,stating that there are indications of community spread
as positive cases have been reported from asymptomatic
persons who arrived from other states.
     Besides, Covid positivity in health care workers
who have not treatedthe infected have also been found,IMA
said.
     "Presently, the majority of the tests are being
conducted in symptomatic individuals who come from outside the
state.
     So the tests done in our community though are
limited, a significant number are positive and cannot be
traced to any contacts," IMA said.
     Hence the number of tests and testing in the
community should be increased to 100/Lakh per week and Hotspot
and containment zones should be screened with door to door
testing, it added.
The increasing instances of doctors and other
health care workers, including those in the non-covid
healthcare facility, getting infected indicates thenecessity
for widespread tests in the community, especially doctors and
healthcareworkers since they may be asymptomatic carriers,
the IMA stated.
     With the Covid cases increasing in the state, the
Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has decided not to allow
devotees to offer prayers at the shrines under its control
until further orders.
The board had earlier decided not to allow devotees
into the temples till June 30.PTI UD BN
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(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)