Rapid surge in COVID-19 cases in Thrissur

The number of COVID-19 cases in Thrissur district is increasing rapidly. As many as 83 cases were reported in the district on Thursday, and of them, 70 were infected through local transmission. With this, the total number of cases reported in the district rose to1,024. After reporting the country’s first case of COVID-19 in the district on January 30, the number of patients have crossed the 1,000-mark after six months. As many as 605 people have recovered from the disease so far. Irinjalakuda again reported the most number of cases. The Assembly constituency reported 32 cases on Thursday. Sixteen persons were infected from the KSE (Kerala Solvent Extracts) cluster. Two were infected from KLF Industries cluster. Five workers at the Fire and Rescue Station at Irinjalakuda tested positive on Thursday. A 49-year-old civil police officer at Irinjalakuda station also contracted the disease. The source of his infection is not known. Five of the guest workers, who came from Bihar for work at Puthur Zoological Park, were among the new patients. The Ottupara market has been closed after a helper in a shop in the market tested positive for the virus.Containment zones The Collector declared new 23 containment zones in the district. They are ward 2 of Kodakara panchayat, ward 3 of Pavaratty panchayat, ward 3 of Velukkara, ward 9 of Porkkulam, wards 14 and 15 of Mathilakam, wards 6,7,8 and 14 of Madakkathara, ward 3 of Puthur, ward 6 of Nenmanikkara, ward 8 of Poomangalam, wards 1 and 3 of Parappookara, division 31 of Kodungallur Municipality, divisions 40 and 44 of Thrissur Corporation, and divisions 10,11, 16,17 and 20 of Wadakkanchery Municipality.In all, 399 persons are undergoing treatment at various hospitals in the district. A total of 13,378 persons are under observation. Meanwhile, sale of fish from other districts has been banned in Thrissur.In Kannur Fifty-one more persons tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in Kannur on Thursday. Among them, 11 persons contracted the disease through local transmission. Those who were infected through contact were residents of Madayi, Pinarayi, Kottayam Malabar, Kariyad, Panoor, Ermam, Munderi, Chembilode, Irrikur and Thripangottur. Health workers, including a doctor from Thiruvananthapuram, nurses from Pariyarm, Eruvessi, Kadampalli, Chandanakampara, Peringome and Kuttur, and a prisoner, who is a native of Aralam, were also tested positive for the virus.Department closed The Orthopaedics Department of the Kannur District Hospital has been closed for the next three days after a patient admitted there tested positive for the virus.In Kasaragod Kasaragod district reported 47 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday. Of them, 29 were infected through contact. Among the local transmission cases were a health worker, a civil police officer, a civil excise officer and a pharmacist. There are now 4,861 persons under observation in the district. In Wayanad Ten more persons tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in Wayanad on Thursday. Three persons contracted the virus through contact. Of the 324 cases reported in the district so far, 136 have been cured, according to District Medical officer R. Renuka. Meanwhile, District Collector Adeela Abdulla declared wards 14,15, 16 and 17 of Noolpuzha grama panchayat, wards 2 and 3 of Vellamunda and wards 16 and 17 of Edavaka grama panchayat as containment zones. Special quarantine facilities will be set up for truck drivers who lack home quarantine facilities. A meeting of representatives of the District Lorry owners’ Association, chaired by the District Collector, decided to set up the centres.In PalakkadFifty-one persons tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in Palakkad district on Thursday. They included 38 cases found in rapid antigen tests conducted at Pattambi.District Collector D. Balamurali said that eight of the 51 cases had come from other States and three from abroad. One person contracted the virus through local contact. The source of infection for another person could not be identified.Mr. Balamurali said that 45 infected persons recovered from the disease on Thursday. In Malappuram Rapid antigen tests for COVID-19 were conducted on 232 persons at Ponnani on Thursday. Three of them tested positive for the virus.The tests were being administered on those selected in a four-day rapid active case survey held at Ponnani. The tests were held at A.V. Higher Secondary School and M.I. Boys Higher Secondary School, Ponnani.Health officials said that the tests would continue on Friday.Meanwhile, the district registered 89 fresh COVID-19 cases on Thursday. Of them, 34 were found to have been infected through local transmission. But the source of infection for 14 of them could not be identified.A 29-year-old man from Chokad who died of heart attack on Wednesday was tested positive for the virus. He had contracted the virus while in Dubai and had returned home after recovering from the disease.(With inputs from Kannur, Kasaragod, Wayanad, Palakkad and Malappuram bureaus)

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