The forecasts made by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Health Minister KK Shylaja early this month is coming true in Kerala as the number of persons diagnosed with Covid-19 continued to surge ahead on Friday too. The last 24 hours saw the State identifying 4,167 new patients across Kerala out of which 3, 849 persons contracted the disease through social contact.

The death toll in the State touched 501 by Friday evening as the Department of Health confirmed that 12 persons succumbed to the pandemic. Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, CPI(M) State Secretary who addressed the media earlier in the day blamed the opposition BJP and the Congress for the surge in the Covid-19 cases.

“The demonstrations and rallies staged by the BJP and the Congress across Kerala were with the intention of sabotaging the good works being done by the CPI(M)-led Government. They  threw to the wind all safety protocols and restrictions like wearing facemasks and maintaining social distancing,” Balakrishnan said while speaking to the press after the State Secretariat meet.

Thiruvananthapuram district topped the table with 926 new patients on Friday while Kozhikode diagnosed 404 patients. Except in Wynadu district which diagnosed 68 new cases, all districts registered high numbers of patients. The medical fraternity in the State is upset over the ever increasing number of health workers who contract the pandemic. On Friday 102 health workers were diagnosed with Covid-19. As on Friday, there were 35, 724 Covid-19 patients in the State. On Friday, 3,282 persons were admitted to hospitals across the State.