THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Covid-19 infection through local contact continues to increase in Kerala signalling that the state could be moving towards community transmission.
Of the 488 fresh cases reported on Saturday, 234 people contracted the infection through primary or secondary contacts, while the sources of infection of 20 people remain unknown.This is for the second time in a row that contact cases have crossed the 200 mark.
The state has come out with special strategies and action plans for districts like Thiruvananthapuram, Alappuzha, Malappuram, Ernakulam, Kasaragod, Kollam and Wayanad, where the spread of infection is a cause for grave concern.
“The state is dealing with a high-risk situation. It will be only a matter of time for the state to enter the stage of community transmission. At this time, the Opposition outfits should self-introspect on the propriety of organising protests. The government is not against protests, but in the time of a public health emergency, by holding such protests, the outfits not only jeopardise the life of protesters but society as a whole,” said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Mentioning the special strategies/action plan for some districts, the chief minister said that in Thiruvananthapuram, a 150-bed Covid First-Line Treatment Centre will be set up at Poonthura on a war footing.
Awareness campaigns in containment zones are also on. In the case of Ernakulam, following confirmation of Covid cases, wide-scale testing was conducted at Chellanam and 13 positive cases were identified.
The CM added that as two persons associated with the Aluva market got infected, the market is being considered as a cluster.
Detailing the measures taken in Alappuzha, which recorded the highest cases on Saturday (87), the CM said the government has directed the officials concerned to give special attention to and enforce restrictions in Thamarakkulam-Nooranad areas and Kayamkulam’s coastal areas.
With a spike in cases, Cherthala taluk was declared a containment zone on Saturday. According to the CM, a high alert has been declared in Malappuram as various places in the district reported cases due to contact.
He added that a total lockdown has been declared in Ponnani taluk on Sunday after considering the situation there.
“In Kasaragod, five got infected from shops that sell vegetables/fruits. Due to the same, restrictions have been imposed on market places till July 17. Special pass has also been made mandatory for vehicles which bring vegetables from Mangaluru. For Wayanad, a special action plan has been readied for tribal dwelling areas. And for Kollam, the areas where they live and are doing business have been brought under surveillance,” said the CM.
three health workers infected
The total Covid-19 cases crossed the 7,000 mark, after the state recorded yet another highest single-day spike of 488 patients on Saturday.
This is for the second consecutive day that positive cases have crossed the 400 mark.
Of the cases reported, three were health workers (Alappuzha, Kottayam and Idukki), four Defence Security Corps personnel in Kannur, two Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel in Alappuzha and one BSF jawan each in Thrissur and Palakkad.
The highest number of positive cases on Saturday was 87 in Alappuzha, followed by Thiruvananthapuram (69), Pathanamthitta (54), Malappuram (51), Palakkad (48), Ernakulam (47), Thrissur (29), Kannur (19), 18 each in Kollam and Kasaragod, Kozhikode (17), Kottayam (15), Wayanad (11) and five in Idukki.
On the day, the test samples of 143 patients turned negative.
They were 43 from Pathanamthitta, 26 from Kollam, 17 from Thrissur, 15 from Malappuram, 11 from Alappuzha, seven from Palakkad, six each from Thiruvananthapuram and Kottayam, four each from Idukki and Kozhikode, three from Ernakulam and one from Kannur.