Thiruvananthapuram:
Kerala recorded 5,005 COVID-19 cases and 4,408 people were cured on Sunday, taking the virus caseload to 8.47 lakh and recoveries to 7.75 lakh, Health Minister K K Shailaja said.
In the last 24 hours, 52,310 samples have been sent for testing and the test positivity rate has climbed to9.57 per cent.
So far 88,68,737 samples have been sent for testing, the Minister said in a release.
None of the UK returnees in the last 24 hours have tested positive for the virus.
So far, 56 people, who have returned from Britain, have tested positive for the virus and nine have been confirmed to have been infected by the variant strain.
As many as 68,991 people are presently undergoing treatment for the virus, which has claimed 3,463 lives after 21 recent deaths were added to the tally on Sunday.
While Ernakulam recorded 767 cases, Kozhikode 677, Malappuram 479, Kollam 439 and Pathnamthitta 427, the minister said in the release.
The total number of Covid cases has soared to 8,47,251 and recoveries have touched 7,75,176, the release added.
Of the positive cases, 43 were health workers, 68 had come from outside the state and 4,506 were infected through contact.
At least 2,09,679 people are under observation in various districts, including 11,177 in various hospitals.
Meanwhile, the minister in another release said of the 8,062 frontline workers, who took the Covishield vaccine, on the inaugural day of the rollout on Saturday, none had so far complained about any side effects.
The vaccination process will be held on four days a week in the state– Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
Wednesdays had been set apart for immunisation of children.
In 133 centres, 100 people each would be vaccinated on the designated days, the minister said.
