Thiruvananthapuram: As COVID-19 cases crossed 600 for the second consecutive day in the state, 16 more places have been identified as hotspots. With this, the number of hotspots rose to 234 in Kerala.

In Pathanamthitta, Cherukole (containment zone: wards 2, 12, 13), Kadapra (wards 8, 9), Kodumon (wards 2, 13, 17) and Naranganam (ward 7) were identified as hotspots.

Kadambur (ward 7), Pannyannur (ward 1) and Kannapuram (ward 8) in Kannur district were also added to the list of hotspots.

In Palakkad, three more regions namely Ongallur (ward 16), Karakurissi (ward 6) and Kanjirapuzha (ward 1) were identified as hotspots.

Muriyad (wards 9, 13, 14) and Irinjalakuda Municipality (ward 27) in Thrissur and Paravur municipality (wards 3,9, 11, 12, 19,20, 22, 26,27) and Veliyam (all wards) were declared as hotspots.

In Kozhikode district, Changaroth (wards 14, 15, 19) and Perambra (wards 17,18,19) regions were also named as hotspots.

Meanwhile, 9 areas were removed from the list of hotspots.

In Pathanamthitta district, Kulanada (containment zone: ward 14) and Ranni (wards 1, 2) were excluded from hotspots.

Karunagappally municipality (ward 15) and Melila (ward 15) in Kollam and Mannoor (ward 2) and Chalissery (wards 9,14) in Palakkad were also removed from the list.

Pallikathodu (ward 8) in Kottayam, Olavanna (ward 19) in Kozhikode, Kalpetta municipality (wards 5,9, 10,11, 14,15, 18, 19 Anappalam road to the end of bypass till traffic junction) in Wayanad are the other regions removed from the hotspot list.