Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala reported 3,677 new COVID-19 positive cases and 14 related deaths on Thursday taking the total number of affected in the state to 10,49,035 and thetoll to 4,150. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the state has tested 63,582 samples in the last 24 hours and the test positivity rate was 5.78 per cent. Till now, 1,12,71,993 samples have been tested in the state. "Out of those infected today 78 reached the state from outside while 3,351 contracted the disease from their contacts. The sources of infection of 228 are yet to be traced. 20 health workers are also among the infected. Meanwhile, 4,652 recuperated from the disease on Thursday taking the total cured in the state to 9,92,372.
Currently, there are 51,879 persons under treatment in the state," Vijayan said. "Experts opine that many states in the country are on the verge of the next phase of COVID-19 spread. There was an increase of 31 per cent of patients in the country when compared to last week. However, in Kerala there is comparatively less spread," he said. Vijayan said the new COVID-19 restrictions imposed by the Karnataka government on the entry of people from Kerala were "not justifiable". The chief minister said even though each state can impose restrictions based on the situation prevailing there, it "should not be against the centre''s common guidelines". "Inter-state travel was allowed after the easing of lockdown restriction in the country. Each state is bound to follow that. Else it will create hardship to the people. We have sought the intervention of the Prime Minister.
Karnataka''s move closing the border roads and blocking vehicles is against the central government''s guideline that no state should impose any restriction on inter-state travel," he said. The chief minister said with the excellent reporting system in Kerala should be considered as when one case is reported when three are infected. "However, in Karnataka, when 30 persons are infected, only one case is being reported. The reports that Kerala has more cases than other states is because we identifymore cases effectively in the state," Vijayan said. He said some people were trying to tarnish the image of the state government in the name of pandemic and said "they were hiding the facts that Kerala has the lowest death rate and the best treating facility".
"However, those who are trying to tarnish the image of Kerala cannot take away the experience of the people of the state with regard to the medical facility here," he said. According to Karnataka officials at the borders, those who wish to enter have to produce COVID-19 negative certificates through an RT-PCR test taken 72 hours prior to their cross over time. The Dakshina Kannada authorities sealed all borders from Monday except four to cross over.
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