The caseload of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 went up by 63 in the State, taking the total to 591, Health Minister Veena George said on Tuesday.
A majority of the cases were detected in samples from international travelers who reached the State from low-risk countries — 401, while 101 others tested positive for the variant after coming from high-risk nations. While 70 cases have been attributed to contact transmission, 19 have been detected in people who came from other States.
Among the fresh cases, Thrissur registered the higher number with 15 cases. Omicron cases were also registered in Thiruvananthapuram 14, Kollam 10, Ernakulam 8, Malappuram 4, Idukki 3, Palakkad 2, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Kozhikode 1 each. Four of those infected had come from Tamil Nadu in recent times.
While 36 people came from low-risk countries, nine other had reached Kerala from high-risk countries. Thiruvananthapuram witnessed seven contact cases.
