Thiruvananthapuram, May 14 (IANS): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said that 26 new cases of coronavirus had been reported in the state, taking the total active cases to 64.

"Of the 26 new cases, seven came from abroad, and seven from within the country," Vijayan told the media here.

"This is what we are going to face from now on. But we are confident that we will be able to fight it using our strengths. Use of masks, social distancing -- all will have to be seriously followed. Make sure all unnecessary travel is avoided," he said, adding that irespective of whether the natinwide lockdown continues or not in the southern state, "we always have to bear coronavirus (danger) in our mind and behave'.

As of date, 560 people tested positive in Kerala, of which 64 are active cases.

As many as 36,362 people are under observation in homes while 548 are in various hospitals. There are 15 hotspot areas in the state.