Coronavirus outbreak: Increase in positive cases after two weeks in Kerala worries state govt

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 22: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the state reported 19 cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday, the highest in two weeks, after a brief gap.

Out of the 19 positive cases of coronavirus, 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 increased to 426.

Addressing the media, the state Chief Minister said, "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."

For the last two weeks, Kerala reported only a few cases of the novel coronavirus 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.

In Pathanamthitta, a woman tested positive for coronavirus on Tuesday after more than 40 days of observation.

In Kannur, nine positive 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.