Kerala reports over 6,000 new coronavirus cases, 19 new deaths

Kerala on Tuesday

reported 6,293 COVID-19 cases, including a UK returnee, while 5,290 people have been cured of the infection, taking the caseload to 8,99,932 and recoveries to 8,24,466.

The toll has climbed to 3,643 with the addition of 19 recent deaths due to COVID.

The active cases in the state has touched 71,607, Health minister K K Shailaja said in a release.

At least 2,14,556 people are presently under observation, including 11,947 in hospitals.

In the last 24 hours ending 2 pm, 60,315 samples were tested and the test positivity rate has touched 10.43 per cent.

So far, 93,49,619 samples have been sent for testing.

The highest number of cases was reported from Ernakulam district--866, followed by Kottayam 638, Kollam 597 and Thrissur 579.

With one more returnee from the UK testing positive for the virus in the last 24 hours, 71 people who had returned have been found to have been infected with the virus.

Samples of 45 people have returned negative and 10 people have tested positive for the new strain, the minister said.

Of the positive cases, 48 are health workers, 78 people had come from outside the state and 5,741 were infected through local contact.