Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that for the entire previous week Kerala has been recording over 100 Covid-19 positive cases, with 123 testing positive on Thursday.
"Of the new cases, 84 came from abroad, 33 were those who came from within the country, while six were local infections," said Vijayan.
He said at present there are 1,761 active cases, while in all 3,726 contracted the virus and 22 people so far died. Of the dead, 20 of them had other underlying ailments also.
At present there are 1,59,616 people in isolation which includes 2,349 in various hospitals and there are 113 hotspots in the state.
"Experts have opined that with large number of our people returning from abroad, isolation and quarantine by them have to be adhered to in letter and spirit. One reason why we have been able to keep the contact spread to just 7 per cent is because of our successful and strict home quarantine rules and it has to be carried forward in the same manner," said Vijayan.
By now 98,202 people have returned from abroad starting from the first flight which arrived on May 7.
According to those registered in the Norka-Roots website, another two lakh from abroad are expected and given the rate at which new cases are going up, there are expectations by a study team that it might go up further by August.
"Starting tomorrow everyday there will be around 40 flights from abroad and all arrangements for instant testing at the airports are ready and in 14 districts of the state 29 Covid hospitals and 29 Covid first line treatment centres are also ready. If required, second line Covid treatment centres would also be opened," added Vijayan.
He also said that none will be fleeced when they buy food materials while waiting in the airport for tests.