KOCHI: Light at the end of the Covid tunnel for the district seems even farther as 72 more people tested positive on Wednesday. With 65 of them being identified as local transmission cases, it seems only a matter of time before community transmission is confirmed by the authorities. Most of the new patients are from clusters at Chellanam and Aluva, with 39 cases reported from Chellanam and 12 from Aluva. Chellanam appears to be worst hit, with a total of 147 people from the area testing positive so far.
According to S Sreedevi, District Surveillance Officer, antigen testing has commenced in Chellanam and Aluva clusters. “More cases are likely to be reported in the coming days. Three mobile sample collection units have been deployed in Chellanam, where the situation is serious,” said Sreedevi. In addition to Chellanam and Aluva, Keezhmadu has been identified as a cluster. Around 83 people had taken part in a family function here where the local transmission is suspected to have occurred. Almost all those who participated in the function have been identified by health officials.
On Wednesday, three persons from this cluster tested positive. A 75-year-old Parakadavu native and 62-year-old doctor serving in a private hospital are also among those tested positive. A source said the doctor got in contact with a suspected Covid patient at the hospital. Doctors and staff from the hospital have been identified and placed in quarantine. “We are collecting details of the Parakadavu native and the doctor. Their contact lists are being prepared,” said a health official.
According to the data available with health officials, a high number of cases have been identified from the clusters. They are tracking all those who were in contact with the infected persons. In another case, a 53-year-old Thoppumpady native, and two of his close relatives, aged 42 and 75, have tested positive. They were working at the Food Safety Unit in Alappuzha. A 29-year old Edathala native also tested positive on Wednesday. The health department authorities said she is likely to have contracted the virus from her parents who had tested positive earlier.
The family members of P K Balakrishnan, a 79-year-old Rayamangalam native who tested positive earlier, also tested positive. Though they had experienced symptoms earlier, rather than alerting the health department, they had consulted a nearby clinic. “Five family members tested positive. His son was the first to show symptoms of fever and then it spread to the others. He is a KSEB worker and his contact list along with that of the family is prepared,” said a health official.Meanwhile, only one patient recovered from the infection on Wednesday. Of the 72 newly confirmed cases, seven came from abroad. The district currently has 474 active cases.
Two more containment zones in the city
Kochi: The district administration on Wednesday declared division 24 (Moolamkuzhi) and division 69 (Thrikkanarvattom) in the city as containment zones. Ward 9 of Pallarimangalam and ward 10 and 17 of Edathala panchayat were also declared containment zones. Meanwhile, ward 6 of Kalloorkkad panchayat was taken out from the list of containment zones.