Thiruvananthapuram, May 27 (IANS): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said that the Covid test positivity rate in the state is coming down and is at 17.87 per cent, compared to 22.45 per cent in the same period last week.

"A cause of concern is that, even as the spread has come, the death rate is high and experts says that this present rate is on account of the high number of cases reported in the past weeks. Experts have now arrived in districts where the deaths are high," he said.

On Thursday, 24,166 people turned positive, while 30,539 became negative, he added.

"At present, there are 2,41,966 active cases in the state, while the total cured reached 21,98,135. There were 181 deaths reported taking the death toll to 8,063," Vijayan said.

On the black fungus spread, he said till now, 52 cases have been reported in the state.

"It has come to our notice, there is a fear factor in the people about this and we will be taking adequate steps to ease the concerns of the people," he said.

Across the state, there were 8,76,584 people under observation at various places which included 40,164 at hospitals.

Vijayan said it has come to notice that canards are being spread in the social media that those who take Covid vaccines "will die in two years time".

"This is a heinous attempt and strict action will be taken against the perpetrators. All should realise that in the above 60 age category, those who took the vaccines, to a large extent, were saved in the second wave and those who turned positive had only a mild attack and it has been proved to keep Covid at bay, vaccination is the only way out," he added.

He said that those children who have lost both the parents to Covid will be taken care of by the government.

"They will be given a onetime payment of Rs 3 lakh besides they will get Rs 2,000 per month till they turn 18 and the expense on their education till graduation will be taken up by the government," said Vijayan.