19 fresh Covid-19 cases in Kerala, sudden jump worries government

For the last two weeks, the state reported only a few cases of the contagion but the sudden spurt has got health officials worried.

Kerala reported 19 cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) on Tuesday, highest in two weeks, after a brief gap, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said.

Customers queue up outside an electronics showroom on the opening day of a once in a week market during ongoing Covid-19 lockdown in Kerala’s Kozhikode. (PTI Photo)

Out of the 19 Covid-19 cases, 10 were in Kannur, the latest hotspot in the state which has reported 104 patients of the respiratory disease. With the new Covid-19 cases, the number of infected in the state went up to 426.

“The situation is quite unpredictable. On Monday, people came out in large numbers at many places thinking lockdown norms were eased. It is not like that, we have to be careful. The sudden spurt in cases shows it,” Pinarayi Vijayan said.

For the last two weeks, the state reported only a few cases of the contagion but the sudden spurt has got health officials worried. With no cases, many said the state was on the verge of flattening the virus curve but the latest developments show it is too early to arrive at a conclusion.

Another worrying factor is the late onset of the disease. In Pathanamthitta, a woman tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday after more than 40 days of observation.

In Kannur, nine of the Covid-19 cases are of people who came back from the Gulf. All flights were suspended in the country on March 25 showing they contracted the disease after 20 to 25 days of returning.

“It is really a worrying point. We have asked our experts to study such cases,” said the CM.