301 test positive in Kerala,COVID-19 tally crosses 6,000 mark

Thiruvananthapuram, July 8 () In the highest ever single day jump in Kerala, as many as 301 people tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday, taking the infection tally to 6,195, state Health Minister K K Shailaja said. While 2,605 people were presently under treatment, as many as 107 were discharged on Wednesday, taking the cumulative recoveries to 3,561,she said in a press release. State capital Thiruvananthapuram recorded the highest number of 64 cases, including 54 from the nearby coastal stretch of Poonthura, where a stringent triple lockdown has been imposed dueto the alarming situation. Tourism Minister Kadakkampally Surendran said there has been a "super spreader" in the coastal region. Fishermen in the area have been asked not to venture out to neighbouring Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu for fishing activities. Commandos, Coast Guard, Coastal Marine Security and Marine Enforcement personnel have been asked to keep a strict watch to ensure that fishing boats do not enter or leave Poonthura area. SAP Commandant in charge L Solomon has been deputed with 25 commandosto monitor the situation. State Director General of Police Loknath Behera has spoken to his Tamil Nadu counterpart J K Tripathi informing him about the situation in Poonthura, a police release said. With increasing cases, the government had imposed a week-long triple lockdown in 100 wards in the city corporation on Monday following whichgovernment offices, including the state Secretariat and various private establishments are shut. Other districts which accounted for more cases during the day are Malappuram (46), Thrissur and Palakkad 25 each, Kannur 22 and Idukki 20, Shailaja said. Of the fresh cases, as many as 99 people had come from abroad and 95 from other states. Ninety people, including 60 from Thiruvananthapuram, were infected through contact. Three health workers, besides nine BSF jawans from Thrissurare among those infected. A total of 1,85,546 people are under observation in various districts, of whom 1,82,409 are in home or institutional quarantine and 3,137 people in hospitals, including 421 admitted on Wednesday, the Health Minister said. The state has ramped up testing and in the last 24 hours 11,250 samples have been examined. Besides, so far 2,96,183 samples have been sent for testing and the results of 4,754 are awaited, she said in the release. The total hotspots in the state has touched 169. UD VS VS