Kerala begins tracing contacts of those testing Covid-19 positive in Tamil Nadu

At least 110 people who returned from Kerala-- 98 in Tamil Nadu and 12 in Karnataka-- tested positive in neighbouring states in the last two weeks.

Kerala has started tracing contacts of people from the state who have tested positive in neighbouring states even as it recorded 195 Covid-19 cases on Saturday, the highest since the outbreak began in January.

Kerala’s coronavirus tally is likely to go up as more than 50 flights are expected daily, all from the Middle-East in the next one week. (HT PHOTO.)

At least 110 people who returned from Kerala-- 98 in Tamil Nadu and 12 in Karnataka-- tested positive in neighbouring states in the last two weeks and initially the state government dismissed them. But later it said it had started tracing their contacts. Though the state boasts of many records like low mortality and the highest recovery rate in the country, its testing rate is still poor.

As on Saturday 2,11,211 people were tested-- they include sentinel, rapid body, TrueNat, augmented and RT-PCR tests. There is criticism that the state is keeping its tests abysmally low to keep its records but the government has denied it.

The government has also decided to lift the lockdown on Sunday till further orders. But the night curfew (9 pm to 5 am) will continue, said a statement from the office of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. For the last two months, the state has been observing complete lockdown on Sundays. With 195 new cases, the total number of Covid-19 cases has risen to 4,071. Out of this, 2,108 people have recovered and active cases now stand at 1,939. At least 1,67, 978 people are under observation. The state has reported 23 deaths so far.

Kerala’s tally is likely to go up as more than 50 flights are expected daily, all from the Middle-East in the next one week. The state and the Centre had crossed swords after the former insisted on Covid-19-free certificates for returning expatriates. Later, it was forced to tone down the demand after the Centre made it clear that it will affect evacuation. At least three lakh more people are expected to return from the Gulf countries. Over one lakh people have returned since special flights began on May 8.