Kerala's tally hits 587, with 87 active coronavirus cases, 497 recovered and three deaths

• Coronavirus cases in Kerala have hit 587, with 87 active cases, 497 patients who have recovered and 3 deaths.
• The government has approved a proposal to increase the sales tax on liquor by 10% on beer and wine alongside a 35% hike in other categories.
• Thomas Isaac, Kerala’s Finance Minister, stated that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s stimulus package for India was “disappointing”.
• Follow the comprehensive coverage of the Coronavirus pandemic in India on Business Insider India.

Kerala was the first Indian state to report a positive coronavirus case on January 30. As of May 16, the total number of confirmed cases stands at 587 with 10 new cases added to the tally in the past 24 hours.


The recovery rate for coronavirus in Kerala is at 84.67% with a mortality rate of 0.51%, according to the data provided by the Kerala Health Ministry. The Chief Secretary of Kerala Tom Jose claims that this is the best recovery rate in India compared the nationwide average of 32%. The districts of Malappuram, Ernakulam, Thiruvananthapuram have reported one death each.

Kerala and plasma therapy to fight coronavirus
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has received proposals from six hospitals in Kerala looking to participate in the organisation’s plasma therapy clinical trials. Four of which are government-owned and two are private.

Overall, ICMR has received proposals from 76 institutions to participate in its ‘A phase II, Open-Label, Randomized Controlled Trial to Assess the Safety and Efficacy of Convalescence Plasma to Limit COVID-19 Associated Complications in Moderate Disease’ — the PLACID trial, in short.

Kerala was one of the first states in India to test the coronavirus mitigation method on an experimental basis. ICMR gave clearance to a team of 17 doctors from Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute of Medical Sciences. However, permits were pulled a mere five days later when ICMR informed the health department that it was initiating its own clinical trial, and hospitals could participate in the nationwide effort.

Kerala Finance Minister calls India’s ₹20 lakh crore economic package ‘disappointing’
Kerala’s Finance Minister Thomas Issac called the stimulus package presented by India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman “disappointing” while hoping that further details will yield more relief for migrant workers.


Alcohol in Kerala is going to get expensive as the government tries to recover revenue loss
The Kerala state cabinet has approved the proposal to increase the sales tax on liquor, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told the press. It suggests a 10% hike on beer and wine alongside a 35% increase on other categories of alcohol to help boost revenue collection from Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL).

The current tax stands at 202% for alcohol below ₹400 and 212% for alcohol above the ₹400 threshold. The revision will result in the new rates being at 237% and 247% respectively.

Major updates of coronavirus in Kerala:

District wise division of coronavirus cases in Kerala:
Source: Daily Bulletin, Directorate of Health Service, Government of Kerala

Map of hotspots and red zones in Kerala:

List of hotposts and red zones in Kerala:

Source: DHS Bulletin

See also:
Coronavirus cases in Tamil Nadu news and updates

Coronavirus cases in Haryana news and updates

Coronavirus cases in Maharashtra news and updates