Kerala records third coronavirus death

Another COVID-19 death was reported in Kerala, taking the toll in the state to three, Kerala health department said on Saturday.

A 71-year-old Puducherry native died in Pariyaram Medical College in Kannur district today morning.

Doctors informed that the deceased was on ventilator support from the past couple of days.

"He was in a very critical condition and his kidneys were not functioning. The patient was on ventilator from the last few days," the state health department said.

Kerala had recorded its second COVID-19 death on March 31 after a 68-year-old man, who had been in a critical condition in the ICU at Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College, died.

The state reported its first COVID-19 death on March 28 after a 69-year-old man being treated for the virus died at Kalamassery Medical College Hospital.

With 40 deaths and 1,035 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, India on Saturday witnessed the sharpest ever increase in coronavirus cases, taking the tally of the infected people in the country to 7,447, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

( With inputs from ANI )