Thiruvananthapuram: The covid situation in Kerala continues to be worrying as the state's test positivity rate (TPR) on Friday stood at 13.13 per cent, for the second day in succession.
The state also recorded 19,948 cases from 1,51,892 samples tested in past 24 hours, a statement said.
This increased figure comes, as from Thursday morning, the state saw a relaxation in the Covid guidelines with all shops opening in areas where triple lock down is not in force.
One reason for the relaxation in norms is on account of upcoming Onam festival season.
The statement from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the number of active cases was 1,78,204 after 19,480 people got cured in the state.
The day also saw a high of 187 Covid deaths, taking the total toll to 17,515.
Malappuram district continued to lead with new cases after 3,417 people turned positive, followed by Ernakulam with 2,310.
The district - wise statistics of positive cases: Malappuram - 3417, Ernakulam - 2310, Thrissur - 2167, Kozhikode -2135, Palakkad -2031, Kollam - 1301, Alappuzha - 1167, Thiruvananthapuram - 1070, Kannur - 993, Kottayam - 963, Kasaragod - 738, Pathanamthitta – 675, Wayanad - 548, and Idukki - 433.
Meanwhile, with the Kerala government deciding to change the lockdown norms from the hitherto followed TPR to weekly infection population ratio (WIPR), it was pointed out that in 266 wards of 52 local bodies, the WIPR was above 10 and hence, these wards would come under triple lockdown category.
State Health Minister Veena George, who bore the brunt of the Congress-led Opposition in the Assembly's attack over "impractical and illogical norms" like insisting of RT-PCR test results for those going out to shops, said that so far, 2.16 crore people have been given vaccines, of which 63 lakh, or 43 per cent of the state population, have received one dose, while 18 per cent have got both.