ALAPPUZHA: Panic has gripped Kayamkulam after 16 members of a family tested positive for Covid-19 in five days, prompting the authorities to declare the municipality as a hotspot. A 68-year-old vegetable vendor of Kayamkulam market and his daughter, 46, had contracted the virus on June 29 and 30, respectively. In the next three days, 14 of his family members and relatives, including two children aged eight and one-and-a-half, too tested positive.A 52-year-old fish vendor from Kurathikad who used to buy fish from Kayamkulam market also tested positive on June 30. His source of infection is unknown. His wife and son-in-law got infected on Thursday.
Municipal chairman N Sivadasan said the situation in Kayamkulam is grim. “The vegetable vendor had come in contact with drivers of many lorries that brought vegetables from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to his shop. Health officials suspect he might have contracted the virus from one of the drivers or cleaners,” Sivadasan said.
The entire Kayamkulam municipality and Thekkekara panchayat have been declared containment zones. Healthcare workers are keeping their fingers crossed as they fear the virus may spread within the vendor’s family, which is a big one, and also to other vendors and people who came to purchase goods in the market.
The health officials have already started taking swab samples from suspected persons. The fish vendor’s contact list is also becoming a cause for concern for the health officials. He had sold fish at Kurathikad in a mini truck and many people bought fish from him. A list of his primary contacts is being prepared.
Another positive case with an unknown source of infection was reported from Cherthala taluk. The patient, a pregnant woman from Pallithodu, was undergoing treatment at the taluk hospital. Her husband is a fisherman working at Chellanam harbour, which has been closed. Ten fishermen there and 15 staffers, including three doctors, of Cherthala taluk hospital were isolated.