As the COVID-19 crisis continues to affect the world, India is facing a challenging situation in some of its regions. The southern states of Karnataka and Kerala have been witnessing a spike in COVID-19 cases and deaths in the past few days.

Karnataka Records 229 New Infections

Karnataka reported 229 new COVID-19 cases on December 31, 2023, a sharp rise from the 125 cases registered a few days earlier. The state’s total active cases have reached 436, with 400 people under home isolation and 36 admitted to hospitals. The health department has been conducting extensive testing, with 3,155 tests done on the last day of the year, including 2,072 RT-PCR and 1,083 Rapid Antigen tests. The positivity rate was 3.96 percent, indicating a high level of transmission.

Kerala Sees Two More Fatalities

Kerala, on the other hand, recorded two more deaths due to COVID-19 on the same day, bringing the state’s total death toll to 5,33,332 since the outbreak of the pandemic three years ago. The state has been registering a high number of cases, with 12,345 new infections reported on December 31, 2023. The test positivity rate was 17.23 percent, which is much higher than the national average of 5.4 percent.

Need for Vigilance and Prevention

As the COVID-19 crisis worsens in these two states, health authorities have stressed the need for vigilance and prevention to contain the spread of the virus. They have urged the public to follow all the safety guidelines, such as wearing masks, maintaining social distance, and getting vaccinated as soon as possible. They have also warned of the possibility of new variants of the virus emerging, which could pose a greater threat to the health and lives of the people.