Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 3 (PTI) Kerala reported 4,995 new positive cases and 44 COVID-19-related deaths on Friday, taking the total affected in the state to 51,45,085 and the death toll to 41,124. The State health department tested 62,343 samples in the last 24 hours and there are 21 wards across 19 local self government bodies in which the weekly infection population ratio was above ten per cent. A total of 4,463 persons recuperated from the disease today, taking the number of those cured to 50,70,497. Among the districts, Thiruvananthapuram reported the highest number of fresh cases-- 790, followed by Ernakulam with 770 cases and Kozhikode with 578. "Currently, there are 44,637 active COVID-19 cases in the state of which only 7.5 per cent are admitted to hospitals," the health department said in a release. Meanwhile, along with the 44 deaths reported today, 225 more deaths were designated as COVID-19 deaths after receiving appeals based on the new guidelines of the Centre and the directions of the Supreme Court, the release said. Of those found infected today, 33 reached the state from outside while 4,706 contracted the disease from their contacts. The source of infection of 219 is yet to be traced and 37 health workers are also among the infected, according to the release. There are 1,59,899 persons under observation of which 4,742 are in isolation wards of various hospitals across the state. The health department also informed that 96.3 per cent of the targeted population has received the first dose of the COVID vaccine, while 66.7 per cent the second dose too. PTI RRT BN BN