THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state has confirmed 118 fresh cases of COVID-19 on Friday while 96 tested negative, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in an official press release. Of these, 67 had returned from abroad (Kuwait-35, UAE-14, Saudi Arabia-10, Oman-3, Russia-2, Qatar-1, Tajikistan-1, Kazakhstan-1) while 45 had returned from other states (Maharashtra – 16, Delhi – 9, Tamil Nadu - 8, Karnataka-5, Assam-2, Hariyana-2, Andhra Pradesh - 2, Telangana -1). 6 persons contracted the virus through contact.

Among the 118 new cases, 18 are from Malappuram district, 17 are from Kollam, 13 are from Alappuzha, 11 are from Ernakulam, 10 are from Palakkad, 9 are from Pathanamthitta, 8 each are from Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur, 7 are from Kottayam, 6 are from Kozhikode, 4 each are from Wayanad and Kasargod, 2 are from Idukki while 1 is from Thrissur.

Out of the 1,32,569 persons kept under observation, 1,30,655 are in home/institutional quarantine while 1,914 are in hospitals.