Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala on Wednesday reported the highest ever single-day spike of 5,376 Covid-19 cases, informed Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan while briefing media after the Covid evaluation meeting. 20 deaths were also confirmed taking the official death toll to 592.

Out of the new cases, 4,424 infections were through contact. Out of the new cases, infection source of 640 persons remains unknown. The highest number of positive cases were reported from Thiruvananthapuram with 852 infections.

99 health workers were also confirmed of Covid-19 on Wednesday.

2,951 recoveries were also reported on Wednesday. 51,200 samples were tested in the last 24 hours. At present there are 42,786 active cases in the state.

Chief Minister also said that the number of elderly persons above 60 years and children below 10 years testing positive for Covid-19 has increased. Home isolation for asymptomatic Covid-19 patients has been approved in state. But many, even with facility for this, are unwilling due to unwanted fear and misunderstandings, he added.

The district-wise statistics of positive cases are: Thiruvananthapuram – 852, Ernakulam – 624, Malappuram – 512, Kozhikode – 504, Kollam – 503, Alappuzha – 501, Thrissur – 478, Kannur – 365, Palakkad – 278, Kottayam – 262, Pathanamthitta – 223, Kasaragod – 136, Idukki – 79 and Wayanad – 59.

Among the new COVID cases reported, 64 persons had returned from abroad while 140 returned from other states.

The district-wise statistics of contact cases are: Thiruvananthapuram – 822, Ernakulam – 587, Kozhikode and Kollam – 495 each, Malappuram – 485, Thrissur – 465, Alappuzha – 450, Kannur – 323, Palakkad – 271, Kottayam – 256, Pathanamthitta – 174, Kasaragod – 125, Idukki – 61 and Wayanad – 55.

The 19 causalities confirmed of Covid-19 on Wednesday by NIV Alappuzha are Kollam Ayoor native Rajesh (37) who died on August 22, Thiruvananthapuram Puthukurichi native Pauloson (68) who died on August 27, Peroorkkada native Saleel (49) who died on August 29, Kozhikode Vadakara native Mythili (85) who died on September 3, Kollam Thattamala native Sulfath (57) who died on September 8, Kozhikode native Ishad Babu (40) who died on September 9, Beypore native P Sreemathy (85) who died on September 11, Kozhikode Parappil native Moosa Koya (83) who died on September 14, Kozhikode Patheerankavu native Nafeesa (78), Madassery native Abdulla (74) who died on September 15, Kozhikode Vadakara native Mehmood (70) who died on September 16, Kozhikode Muttangal West native AP Raveendran (84), Puthupady native Muhammad (68) who died on September 17, Kozhikode Pilassery native Koran (68), Kattippara native Moothoran (86) Thiruvananthapuram Peyad native Mohanan (64) who died on September 18, Kozhikode native Ayshabi (81) who died on September 19, Malappuram Padavanad native Shanmukhan (71), Kollam Pooyappalli native Susamma Raju (62) who died on September 20 and Malappuram Kottakkal native Abdul Salam (45) who died on September 21.

Among the 99 health workers confirmed with COVID-19 on Wednesday, 25 are from Thiruvananthapuram, 19 from Kannur, 17 from Ernakulam, 15 from Malappuram, 12 from Thrissur, 3 each from Kollam and Kasaragod, 2 from Alappuzha, 1 each from Pathanamthitta, Palakkad and Wayanad. 9 INHS employees in Ernakulam were also confirmed of Covid-19.

The district-wise statistics of recoveries are: Thiruvananthapuram – 321, Kollam – 152, Pathanamthitta – 127, Alappuzha – 167, Kottayam – 275, Idukki – 55, Ernakulam – 254, Thrissur – 180, Palakkad – 150, Malappuram – 372, Kozhikode – 427, Wayanad – 27, Kannur – 142 and Kasaragod – 302.

There are 42,786 active coronavirus cases in Kerala at present. 1,04,682 have recovered. As many as 2,12,629 are under observation. Among them, 1,86,140 are in home/institutional quarantine while 26,489 are in hospitals. 3,131 were admitted to hospitals on Wednesday.

51,200 samples were tested in the last 24 hours. So far, 25,45,385 samples were sent for testing in different categories. 1,98,189 samples were collected from priority groups as part of sentinel surveillance.

17 new COVID hotspots were identified in Kerala on Wednesday while 15 areas were removed from the list. Currently, there are 641 hotspots in the state.