Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 27 (IANS): Kerala Health Minister K.K. Shailaja said that 5,659 people tested Covid positive on Wednesday.

She also said that 5,006 people recovered from the illness and were discharged from hospital. 51,130 samples were tested in the past 24 hours, a government release said as the test positivity rate is 11.07 per cent.

With these positive cases on Wednesday, the total number of Covid patients in the state is now 72,234.

The industrial and commercial capital of the state Ernakulam continues to have the maximum number of Covid positive cases at 879 while Kasargod has the least number of cases at 84.

20 people died on Wednesday taking the total number of Covid deaths in the state to 3,663 while 77 of the total Covid positive cases on Wednesday had come from outside the state.

The frontline warriors against Covid - health workers - continue to be affected by the disease and on Wednesday, 43 of them contracted the disease.

Across the state, 2,14,315 people are under observation on Wednesday.