Yet again, Kerala recorded a high number of COVID-19 cases – 31,445 – in a single day, on Wednesday, August 25. The Test Positivity Rate (TPR) also stands at a worrying 19.03%. Ernakulam has reported the highest number of cases at 4,048, followed by Thrissur (3,865), Kozhikode (3,680) and Malappuram (3,502). The caseload is from the 1,65,273 samples tested in the last 24 hours.
According to a press release by the Chief Minister’s office, the state reported 215 COVID-19 deaths in the last few days. The total COVID-19 death toll in the state has gone to 19,972, the press release added. Health Minister Veena George on Monday had cautioned residents, asking for them to observe extreme vigilance for the coming four weeks which would follow Onam. The pre-Onam shopping saw massive crowding at marketplaces with no adherence to the COVID-19 protocol. The Onam days lasted from August 21 to 23.
With the figures on Wednesday added, the total number of active COVID-19 cases in the state has become 1,70,292 while 36,92,628 people have recovered from the disease. The curbs in the state are currently imposed on the basis of Weekly Infection Population Ratio (WIPR) in local-self-government institutions. As of Wednesday, WIPR is above 8% in 414 wards of 74 local-self institutions.
Kerala has been continuing to report a high number of COVID-19 cases with a daily caseload of above 10,000 cases despite the numbers declining in other parts of the country.
On Thiruvonam, the most important of Onam days, which fell on August 21, the state reported 17,106 COVID-19 cases with a TPR of 17.73 %. The state had relaxed lockdown restrictions by lifting the complete lockdown on Sundays on August 15 and August 22 on account of the Independence Day and Onam respectively.
Meanwhile, the BJP accused the state government of “doing little to mitigate the health crisis and being busy in covering it up through motivated propaganda.” Union minister of State, V Muralidharan, on Wednesday, tweeted attacking Pinarayi Vijayan, "Alarming COVID-19 situation in Kerala, @vijayanpinarayi has clearly failed to protect people's lives. Kerala alone recorded 24,296 cases and 173 deaths yesterday (August 24).
Opposition leader VD Satheesan of the Congress on Tuesday blamed the government saying that the COVID-19 management in the state has failed.