Thiruvananthapuram, May 25 (IANS): When the figures of the Covid-19 impact on Monday was reviewed, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's hometown -- Pinarayi in Kannur has been declared as a new hotspot.

Kannur, the home district of Vijayan reported 10 new cases on Monday, taking the total positive cases there to 77.

With Pinarayi turning a hotspot along with three other places on Monday, at present there are 59 hotspots in the state. Vijayan however has not visited his hometown for a while now, as he has been staying put in the state capital.

Meanwhile, the total number of fresh positive cases on Monday in Kerala stood at 49, keeping with the increased numbers that have been reported in the past few days.

On Saturday, there were 62 cases and on Sunday it was 53.

Of the 49 cases, 18 came from abroad and 25 from within the country.

Currently there are 359 active positive cases in the state and 532 people have by now turned negative, since the first case reported in the country was at Thrissur on January 30.

On Monday, hugely popular national award winning Malayalam comedian Suraj Venjaramoodu was asked to go into quarantine after he took part in a function along with a police officer at his hometown, near here, who has gone into isolation following a remand prisoner, who was arrested by the police official, turned Covid positive on Sunday.

With around six lakh people registered to return to Kerala (around 4 lakh from abroad and 2 lakh from within the country) since the travel was permitted, so far 97,247 people have come which includes 9,900 who came by air and sea and over 87,000 who came by train and road.

As on date, 98,486 people are under observation in homes, while 792 are in hospitals.

State Agriculture Minister V.S. Sunilkumar reacting to the increase in cases, said that this was much expected and the state is fully geared to face the challenge.

"The need of the hour is all those who have been asked to sit in quarantine have to adhere to that in its true spirit. Kerala's home quarantine has been a huge success and all what the people should do is just follow the system in place and listen to the health authorities," said Sunilkumar.

Meanwhile top Indian Medical Association official Rajeev Jayadevan said complacency should not set in.

"As things stand today, they are still under control in Kerala. Fourteen-day quarantine is a must for all those who come from outside our state. In a pandemic situation, there should be no let up on the way our state has taken utmost care till now. If an error happens, cases will multiply in geometric progression. So each and everyone here have to be careful," said Jayadevan.

Meanwhile, the Kerala High Court on Monday dismissed a petition demanding the postponement of the remaining Class 10 and 12 examinations, where a record 1.3 million students will have to write the examination in the various schools in the state.

The state government assured the court that all the necessary health protocols will be followed for the smooth conduct of the examinations.