The number of active cases in Kollam crossed 5,000 on Tuesday with 583 more persons testing positive for SARS-CoV-2.
While 566 patients contracted the infection through contact, others include three NRIs and 11 persons who had travelled from different States. Among the patients are three health workers and two of them have been working at Family Health Centre, Neduvathur, while the third one is attached to a private facility.
The Health Department also confirmed that the deaths of a 55-year-old Thekkemuri resident, 62-year-old Perumpuzha resident, and 80-year-old Anchal resident are due to COVID-19. They died on September 21, 23 and 25 respectively.
While Kollam Corporation reported over 140 cases on Tuesday, Thrikkaruva, Neendakara and Paravur are among the places that reported new contact cases. The district currently has 19,651 persons under observation and the total number of samples collected is 2,02,894. While 2,133 persons completed home quarantine on Tuesday, the Health Department has traced 42,433 primary and 6,623 secondary contacts of the positive cases. At present 17 COVID-19 first-line treatment centres are operating in the district and the number of active cases is 5,307. The number of recoveries on Tuesday is 262.
Since the number of cases are on the rise, the district administration has decided to open more second-line treatment centres (SLTCs) in Kollam. Admission to the two COVID-19 hospitals in the district including Government Medical College Hospital and Kollam District Hospital will be limited to patients with serious issues and emergency cases.
The Health Department will also ensure that the patients who are referred from first-line treatment centres are provided proper treatment at private hospitals with ICUs. More facilities will be introduced to FLTCs to convert them to SLTCs and Category B patients with severe symptoms will be treated there. All asymptomatic patients including children and the elderly and those with mild symptoms like fever, cough and sore throat will be recommended home care, says District medical Officer Dr. R.Sreelatha.
