BackCovid-19: Kerala reports nine positive cases on Wednesday
Kerala has kept 76,542 people under observation— 76,010 of them are home and 532 are in hospitals
PremiumERNAKULAM : Kerala confirms nine more COVID-19 patients, taking the state tally of active cases to 112 now, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Wednesday. Twelve people have fully recovered so far in the state, he mentioned.
The state has kept 76,542 people under observation— 76,010 of them are home and 532 are in hospitals. So far, 4,902 samples tested, 3,465 were negative.
The two fresh cases on Wednesday are from Palakkad district, three are from Ernakulam, two from Pathanamthitta, one from Idukki and one from Calicut. Out of 118 total people infected so far, including those who recovered, 91 were returnees from foreign countries.
On Wednesday, Vijayan said, Kerala’s cabinet has also approved a new law that will give more powers to the state to act in a crisis situation. The new law, Kerala Epidemic Diseases Ordinance 2020, has been referred to the Governor for final approval, he said.
The new law empowers the state to ban private or public mass gatherings including in religious institutions, close the borders, other social regulations, Vijayan said. The state also tasked a public limited company, Kerala State Drugs and Pharmaceuticals, to produce sanitisers.
The cabinet also decided to close down state-licenesed liquor stores for next 21 days and offer an aid-kit filled with food supplies to help the poor families under the current lockdown over coronavirus pandemic.
On the first day of a nation-wide lockdown, all non-essential shops and establishments across Kerala were under completely shut. Its borders were sealed, non-emergency private and public transportation were suspended even using police force. Kerala has one of the second-highest numbers of Covid-19 patients in India.
Milestone Alert!Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world 🌏 Click here to know more.
