Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 5 (IANS): As many as 5,615 more persons tested coronavirus positive in Kerala on Tuesday even as 4,922 patients recovered, an official release from Health Minister KK Shailaja's office said.

A total of 61,269 samples were tested on Tuesday. The test positivity rate in Kerala is 9.16 per cent.

With 24 more fatalities on Tuesday, COVID-19 death toll in the state went up to 3,184.

Maximum new cases were reported from Ernakulam (719) and the least from Kasargod (58).

Of those who tested positive, 59 have come from outside the state. In all, 5,037 patients contracted the disease through contact. The source of contact of 475 patients is unknown.

A total of 44 health workers too tested positive -- Pathanamthitta, Thrissur and Kozhikode reported 6 cases each, Ernakulam 5, Thiruvanathapuram and Kannur 4 each, Malappuram 3, Kollam, Wayanad, and Kasargod 2 each. Kottayam and Palakkad had one case each.

A total of 1,90,990 people are under observation, including 1,79,868 in home or institutional quarantine and 11,122 in hospitals.

Four new hotspots took the total to 445 in Kerala.