COVID-19: Kerala reports one more death

Kochi: Kerala on Friday reported a COVID-19 death. A 65-year-old Tiruvalla native succumbed to the disease at Kottayam Medical College Hospital, sources said. The sexagenarian and his wife recently travelled to Dubai on a visit visa to meet their children.

Upon his return from Dubai at Kochi airport on May 11, he was quarantined at a facility in Pathanamthitta.

He tested positive for the virus on May 18 and was shifted to Pathanamthitta general hospital. When his condition deteriorated, he was referred to Kottayam Medical College Hospital on May 25. He, however, died around 2:30 am. He was a diabetic patient, sources said.

A 68-year-old Telangana native, who also died of COVID-19 in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday, had arrived with his wife, two children and two other family members from Rajasthan on May 22. The family boarded the wrong train and reached Thiruvanthapuram instead of going to Telangana. While he died at the government general hospital, his bereaved family continue their quarantine at a facility near Poojapura.

Meanwhile, Health Minister KK Shailaja ruled out community transmission in the state presently. She, however, hastened to add that the likelihood of community spread in the coming days cannot be ruled out. The state is maintaining strict vigil to avert community spread, she claimed.

The minister admittted that since May 7, there has been a spike in COVID-19 cases in the state. She said the spike in cases is not of much concern but lately, many are at a critical stage when they get tested for the disease.