Coronavirus: Kerala reports 14,233 new infections, 173 fatalities

The death toll reached 10,804

Kerala on Friday

logged 14,233 new COVID-19 cases and 173 deaths, pushing the infection count to 26,72,798 and the toll to 10,804.

A total of 15,355 people recuperated from the disease today, taking the total cured in the state to 25,57,597.

Currently, there are 1,34,001 people under treatment in the state.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the state had tested 1,07,096 samples in the last 24 hours and the test positivity rate was 13.29 per cent.

Till now, the state had tested 2,10,17,514 samples.

He said the average test positivity rate of the last three days was 13.9 per cent and the aim was to bring it down under ten per cent.

"We are slowly recovering from the threat of the second wave of the pandemic.The number of covid patients and the spread has reduced these days.The lockdown and the cooperation of the people havehelped us in containing the spread."

"When compared to other places, Kerala has controlled the death rate effectively.All these doesn't mean that we can lower our guard," Vijayan said.

Thiruvananthapuram reported the highest number of cases today--2,060, followed by Ernakulam with 1,629 and Kollam 1,552.

Of those found infected today, 108 reached the state from outside, while 13,433 contracted the disease through their contact.

"The source of infection of 626 is yet to be traced and 66 health workers are also among the infected," the state health department said in a bulletin.

There are 5,62,253 people under observation in the state of which 31,510 are in isolation wards of various hospitals.

The number of hotspots is currently at 880.

The health department said the government has administered vaccines to over 25 per cent of the state's population.

"Till now, 1,09,61,670 doses of vaccine were given, of which 87,52,601 persons received their first dose and 22,09,069 received the second. We have administered the first dose to 26.2 per cent of the population and 6.61 per cent of the population received the second," the department said.