Lone fresh positive case in Kerala; number of active patients dips to 16

As only one new case of COVID-19 was reported in Kerala on Friday (May 8) and just 16 people are undergoing treatment for the disease in the state, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that southern state had flattened the COVID-19 curve.

He told reporters the state needed to be careful to avoid another wave of the deadly virus but asserted it was ready to fight it in such an event. “Now, two months later, the curve has been flattened. As we have completed 100 days since the country’s first COVID case was detected from Kerala, we have a record of better recovery rate in the whole world.”

The fresh case was a person with kidney ailment who had come to Ernakulam from Chennai, the Chief Minister said. “All the ten recoveries are from Kannur. The total tally of the cases in the state is 503, while 20,157 are under observation, including 347 in various hospitals,” he said.

The country’s first COVID-19 case was reported on January 30 when a medical student from Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus, tested positive in Thrissur.

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The second wave of the virus had hit the state during March when a three-member family returned from Italy. With the start of repatriation of the stranded Non-Resident Keralites (NRKs), mainly from Gulf nations, “there is a need to ensure that a third wave does not happen in the state and all efforts are being taken to ensure this,” he said.

“We need to be careful to avoid a third wave. In case there is one, we are ready to fight it,” Vijayan said. Though the positive cases have reduced, there cannot be any room for any complacency, he added.

Kerala has been earning accolades from many quarters for the manner in which it dealt with the pandemic and restricting deaths due to the virus to just three so far while containing its spread. It has made elaborate arrangements to screen the returning expatriates and put them under quarantine.

The state has so far reported 503 while ten more people recovered on May 8, further bringing down the active cases to 16.