THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The COVID-19 'curve' seems to stay flat in Kerala as the state reported no fresh positive cases on Wednesday. Seven patients made recovery today-six in Kottayam and one in Pathanamthitta.

As of Wednesday, there are 30 patients at hospitals treated for COVID-19. The total tally of virus patients in the state so far stands at 502.

At present, there are 14,670 persons under observation in the state, including 268 at various hospitals. 58 persons were admitted to hospitals on Wednesday. Samples of 34,599 persons were sent for testing. Only six districts in the state host COVID-19 patients as of now.

Keralites stranded abroad will start returning to the state from tomorrow on flights and ships. As per official information, two flights will fly to Kerala on Thursday carrying expats-Abudhabi to Kochi and Saudi Arabia to Kozhikode.

The state will take will be careful in managing the returning Malayalis. Returnees should keep vigil throughout their journey, at airports and their places of stay. Facilities for the returnees are ready.

Malayalis, including students, are stranded in different parts of the country. Malayali students in Jamia Milia in Delhi received notice to leave the hostel before May 15 as the place is getting transformed into quarantine centres. As situations like this have arisen, the state is trying to bring back the stranded students in different parts of the country like Delhi, Punjab, Himachal and Haryana.

Meanwhile, the state government will ask the centre to allow relaxations in the quarantine of expats. The state seeks relaxation in the cases of old people, pregnant women, sick people and children as keeping them in quarantine centres would be a challenge and want them to be home quarantined.