KANNUR: Fear and anxiety have gripped the people of Kannur town and nearby areas as the district administration has prohibited all activities in and around the town. The authorities have imposed complete lockdown in 12 wards in Kannur corporation and the police have started acting tough on those venturing out into the town citing flimsy reasons.
The move comes amid an increase in the number of Covid cases in the district. To add to it, health officials have been struggling to find the source of infection of several patients who contracted the disease through contact. “It looks a bit late. They could have done this some two to three weeks ago,” said a government official, on condition of anonymity.
On Friday, Industries Minister E P Jayarajan too said about the uneasy situation prevailing in the district following the death of K P Sunil, an excise driver, and a 14-year-old boy in Kannur town contracting the disease. “The situation in Kannur is a bit serious. Though the much-feared community spread has not happened so far, people have to be extremely careful about what they do,” said Jayarajan. “The contact list of the excise driver who died on Thursday is big. The health department will conduct a separate inquiry in connection with Sunil’s death. People should follow the covid guidelines strictly to avoid further damage,” he said.
Meanwhile, the health department officials look a bit clueless as the sources of infection in several cases still remain a mystery. One among such patients is a pregnant tribal woman from Ayyankunnu. She had visited the Kannur town and also the District Hospital, triggering concerns of virus spread. Likewise, the source of infection of a driver of the Kannur KSRTC depot is also unknown. The latest in this list are K P Sunil and a 14-year-old boy, who lives in a flat in Kannur town.
The fear that more people would get infected through contact might have forced the district administration to announce lockdown in 12 wards in Kannur corporation. A special team has been assigned to look into the death of Sunil and identify the source of his infection. The swab sample of Sunil will be taken again in connection with the inquiry.
Meanwhile, the health department and the police have placed around 400 people under surveillance following Sunil’s death. The officials have strengthened their activities in the Padiyur Kallyad region to prevent virus spread. The police have taken control of the region to ensure that nobody goes out of their houses unnecessarily.Iritty DySP Sajesh Vazhalappil would lead the activities in the region. Around 150 people from the primary contact list of Sunil and around 250 secondary contacts have been asked to go into quarantine.
Collector TV Subhash has asked all people to adhere to the guidelines and restrictions.