THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state-reported 16 new Covid-19 positive cases on Friday, in continuation with the recent trend of having the number of new cases in double digits everyday. Among the districts, Wayanad continues to be a cause for concern for the health authorities after reporting the highest number of patients in the state. Five new cases were reported from the district on Friday taking the total tally of its patients to 19.
“The spread of disease in Wayanad is a matter of concern,” Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in his daily media briefing. He spoke about the need to strengthen the vigil in containment zones. Of the total cases reported, seven persons have come from abroad, four from Tamil Nadu and two from Mumbai while the remaining three are cases of local transmission.
Among the positive cases, four are from Malappuram, two each from Kozhikode and Alappuzha, and one new patient each from Kollam, Palakkad and Kasaragod. There are 80 patients under treatment and 493 persons have been recovered from the disease. There was not a single case of disease recovery on Friday, even as 122 persons were admitted in hospitals for showing Covid-19 symptoms. Malappuram has the highest number with 36 such cases. There are 16 hotspots in the state.
Police motorcycle brigades
Though the chief minister appreciated the effectiveness of home quarantine, he said the vigil would be strengthened with the help of motorcycle brigades of police. Policemen on motorcycles will monitor people under observation. They will patrol the areas and make house visits.
“There are concerns over the rise in the number of cases. We need to step up our vigil and follow the norms for breaking the chain,” said Pinarayi. The decision was taken in the wake of quarantine violations reported in various locations. As many as 65 cases were registered for violating quarantine norms, most of them in Thiruvanan-thapuram followed by Kasaragod and Kozhikode.