The gradual lifting of lock down in Kerala has led to the worsening of the Covid-19 situation in the State as the Department of Health said in a release that 16, 848 new persons were diagnosed with the pandemic on Tuesday.

The disease also claimed 104 lives which took the death toll in the State till date to 15, 512. The average Test Positivity Rate is 11.9 while many regions in the State registered 15 per cent and above.

Health experts in Government service attribute the spurt in the number of Covid-19 patients to the relaxations of lock down rules announced by the State administration since Friday in connection with the Id festivities. There was a stand off between the Kerala Government and the traders in the State who challenged the Government that they would openly violate the lock down rules and open the shops. 

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan himself intervened in the issue and held discussions with leaders of various trade bodies to resolve the stand off . It may be remembered that Vijayan had said last week that Kerala would see a hike in the number of patients if the people failed to observe the regulations put in place by the authorities. He had pleaded with the people not to forget the fact that the Covid-19 has not subsided and the lifting of lock down was being done to help the people to go ahead with their livelihood.

Vijayan always uses his daily press briefings to ask the people to strictly abide by the standard operations procedures and safety measures prescribed by the department of health to keep the pandemic under check. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Friday meeting with Chief Ministers of six States including Kerala has expressed concern  over the hike in Covid-19 patients in the State.

Earlier on Tuesday, a review meeting held at Thiruvananthapuram and presided over by the Chief Minister decided not to go ahead with the proposed relaxations in the lock down.