Kerala has flattened the COVID-19 curve, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said as only a lone case was reported on Friday and just 16 people remained under treatment for the infection in the state.
Vijayan also cautioned that the state needed to be careful to avoid another wave of the deadly virus, but asserted it was ready to fight it in such an event.
The state reported a solitary positive case, taking the total to 503 while ten more people recovered on Friday, further bringing down the active cases to 16, the chief minister told reporters here.
"Now, two months later (after second wave of infections hit the state in March), the curve has been flattened. As we have completed 100 days since the country's first COVID case was detected from Kerala, we have a record of better recovery rate in the whole world," Vijayan said.
"It's day 100 of our #COVID19 fight. India's first case was reported here on Jan 30. Kerala has shown great courage & resolve. Fought 2 waves of COVID; and is ready if there's another one. Years from now, we should be able to look back & take pride in how we responded to this,"the Chief Minister tweeted.
The fresh case of Friday was a person with kidney ailment who came to Ernakulam from Chennai.
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"All the ten recoveries are from Kannur. The total tally of the cases in the state is 503, while 20,157 are under observation, including 347 in various hospitals," he said.
The country's first COVID-19 case was reported on January 30 when a medical student from Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus, tested positive in Thrissur.
The second wave of the virus had hit the state during March when a three-member family returned from Italy.
With the start of repatriation of the stranded Non Resident Keralites (NRKs), mainly from Gulf nations, Vijayan said, "there is need to ensure that a third wave does not happen in the state and all efforts are being taken to ensure this."
"We need to be careful to avoid a third wave. In case there is one, we are ready to fight it," he added.
Though the positive cases have reduced, there cannot be any room for any complacency, he said.
Kerala has been earning accolades from many quarters for the manner in which it dealt with the pandemic and restricting deaths due to the virus to just three so far while containingits spread.
The state has made elaborate arrangements to screen the returning expatriates and put them under quarantine.
"As we completed 100 days in successfully fighting the pandemic, we are also welcoming our expats brothers. We have arranged all facilities to receive them. Our society has behaved in an exemplary manner in following the instructions of the health department and we want to continue that to contain the spread," Vijayan said.
The Civil Aviation Secretary had appreciated the state's arrangements to receive the expats,he said.
Two flights from AbuDhabi and Dubai had arrived in the state onThursday with 340-odd people, including 49 pregnant women and infants, from the UAE.
A flight from Riyadh is expected on Friday with 139 people, including 10 people from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
At least,86,679Keralites stranded in other states have registered with the Norka web portal to return to the state.
"Of this,37,810 (43.71 per cent) have registered from Red Zone districts. Over 45,800 passes have been issued of which 19,476 are from red zone districts," Vijayan said adding that those who are coming from other states, must have the necessary permission from that state and also register with the Norka website in order to enter Kerala.
On migrant workers, he said tillThursday, 24,088 guest workers fromBihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal have left Kerala for their respective states in 21 trains.
The chief Minister also informed that the state government has decided to appoint 3,770 temporary health workers in the health department including 704 doctors, 100 specialists, 1,196 nursing staff among others.
Vijayan also expressed solidarity with a worldwide movement on open source COVID projects.
"Many corporate companies are trying to develop cure, medicine and equipment for the COVID-19 pandemic and they will market it for huge price after gaining the patent rights. An alternate is being formed as part of an open source COVID projects to fight against it. Kerala expresses solidarity with such a movement," the chief minister said.
Meanwhile, 23-year-oldyouth, who reached Palakkad from Poondi in Coimbatore and was put under observation for coronavirus, died early on Friday morning.
His samples are negative for the virus.
As of now, there are five positive cases in Kannur, four in Wayanad, three in Kollam and one each in Idukki, Ernakulam, Palakkad and Kasaragod.
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