THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state has confirmed 79 new coronavirus positive cases on Tuesday, health minister KK Shailaja said. Malappuram accounted for 15 new cases, Ernakulam 13, Alappuzha, Thrissur and Kannur 7 each, Pathanamthitta and Palakkad 6 each, Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kottayam and Kozhikode 4 each, while Kasargod reported 2 new cases.

Of the newly infected persons, 47 had returned from abroad (Kuwait-23, UAE-12, Qatar-5, Oman-3, Saudi Arabia-2, Bahrain-1, Tajikistan-1), while 26 had returned from other states (Maharashtra-13, Tamil Nadu-5, Delhi-3, West Bengal-2, Karnataka-1, Gujarat-1, Odisha-1). 5 persons contracted the disease through contact (Thiruvananthapuram-2, Palakkad-1, Malappuram-1, Kannur-1). A female health worker from Pathanamthitta has also tested positive for the virus.

Meanwhile, 60 patients tested negative for the virus on Tuesday, the minister added.