Many say the Covid-19 figure in Kerala, is the indication of the third wave of the virus in the country, expected to arrive by next week. Of the 4.03 lakh active cases in the country, 1.5 lakh are from Kerala alone. It accounts for more than 37 per cent of the cases, reported NDTV. Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope said "The surge in cases in Kerala can be seen as the beginning of the third wave.”

The Union Health Ministry has sent a six-member team, headed by National Centre for Disease Control Director S K Singh, to Kerala to help with Covid-19 management. Kerala has further extended the weekend lockdown from this week. In May, when the second wave of Covid-19 was ripping through the country, Kerala was reporting a high of more than 43,000 new cases every day. But the numbers started dropping soon after and reached a low by the first week of June. The respite was short as from the third week of June the number of daily fresh cases has been on a consistent rise.

Meanwhile, Karnataka & capital city Bengaluru recorded a steep spike in Covid-19 cases on July 29. The state reported 2,052 new cases on July 29, 34 per cent more than July 28 tally of 1,531. The city clocked 505 cases, also 34 per cent more than July 28 count of 376. As per the state bulletin, the number of active Covid-19 cases in the state stands at 23,253. Watch the video to know more.