Kerala Reports 115 New COVID Cases; Active Cases Reach 1700
Over the last 24 hours, Kerala reported 115 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total active cases in the state to 1,749. Despite this, the Health Department has reassured the public that there is no reason for alarm. According to data from the Union Health Ministry until 8 am on Tuesday, Kerala accounted for 115 out of the 142 reported cases in the country.
In a statement, Health Minister Veena George affirmed that the state is adequately equipped to handle the current situation. She highlighted that despite a comparable surge in COVID-19 infections in November, the situation was effectively managed through prompt measures. Providing an update on the current efforts to address concerns, she mentioned issuing instructions for testing individuals displaying symptoms and sending their samples for genomic sequencing.
The COVID testing volume was also raised, and a sufficient supply of protective equipment and medications was guaranteed. From December 13 to 16, an online simulation exercise took place, engaging 1,192 government and private hospitals to verify the accessibility of isolation wards, oxygen beds, ICUs, and ventilators, according to the statement. The statement further added that led by the minister; another top-level meeting took place during the day to evaluate the COVID situation and the readiness of the state's medical systems.
Many directives such as proper facilities for Covid patients, isolation wards availability, oxygen supply, ICU beds and ventilators were also issued. District hospitals were given special instruction not to refer non-serious patients to medical colleges. According to the statement, around 1,957 oxygen beds, 2,454 ICU beds and 937 ventilator ICU beds are available in the state.
In the released statement, the minister noted that the majority of recent cases predominantly exhibit mild symptoms. With regard to recent fatalities linked to the virus, all except one involved individuals aged 65 and above with underlying health issues, including heart ailments, kidney diseases, diabetes, and cancer. The JN.1 Omicron variant was detected in a lone sample, and the individual has since recovered.
According to the Union Health Ministry website, there were no reported COVID-19 deaths in Kerala in the last 24 hours. Within the same timeframe, 112 individuals in the state, previously confirmed with the infection, either recovered, were discharged, or relocated. This contributes to the overall cumulative count of such cases in Kerala, which now stands at 68,36,979.
