Fifty-nine persons, including three children, tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in Palakkad district on Sunday. As many as 24 of them had returned from the United Arab Emirates.
However, the infection of a 24-year-old pregnant woman at Elappully could not be traced to any contacts.
While 24 of the new cases returned from the UAE, six had returned from Kuwait, four from Qatar, five from Saudi Arabia, two from Oman, one each from Japan and England, eight from Tamil Nadu, four from Maharashtra, and three from Karnataka.
The district has 328 COVID-19 cases currently under treatment. Besides, four persons from the district were being treated in Malappuram, two in Idukki, three in Ernakulam and one in Kannur districts.
In Kasaragod
With more cases of local transmission getting reported, the district administration and the Health Department are on high alert in Kasaragod.
Of the 56 cases reported on Sunday, 42 got infected through contact. Among them, sources of infection of eight patients have not been identified yet. Eight persons had come from abroad and six from Karnataka.
Those tested positive were residents of Chengala, Madhur, Muliyar, Pullur Periya, Manjeswaram, Kumbala, Mogral Puthur, Kasaragod, Chemnad, Mangalpady, Panathady, Meenja and Pallikkara.
All except three who tested positive were in home quarantine. A total of 6,513 persons are under observation in the district.
In Malappuram
Forty-two persons tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in Malappuram district on Sunday. As many as 17 of them were found to have been infected through local transmission. Thirteen of them were detected during a special drive held in Ponnani taluk as part of checking the spread of the virus there.
District Collector K. Gopalakrishnan said that 22 of the newly confirmed cases had come back from abroad and three from other States.
Apart from the 13 positive cases in Ponnani, where local transmission is feared, the others who got the disease through local contacts were a 22-year-old man from Munniyoor, a 37-year-old man from Vazhayoor, a 42-year-old man from Palemad, Edakkara, and a 27-year-old man from Oorngattiri.
Among those tested positive in Ponnani were a 10-year-old girl and a 19-year-old boy. Most others were in their 40s and 50s.
District Medical Officer K. Sakeena requested those who had come in contact with the infected persons to go into home quarantine. She said they should not leave their homes and interact with anyone outside.
The total number of infected persons currently under treatment in the district rose to 524 on Sunday. The number of persons who recovered from the disease on the day was 15.
Malappuram became the first district to record 1,000 COVID-19 cases in the State since March. More than 41,000 persons are currently in quarantine.
In Thrissur
There were 19 fresh cases of COVID-19 in Thrissur on Sunday. Among them, 10 were tested positive during the random sample testing from various parts of the district as part of sentinel surveillance. In all, 14,238 persons are under observation.
Restrictions in the district have been made strict. Identity cards have been made compulsory for workers in shops. People above the age of 60 years will not be allowed to work in shops.
Meanwhile, all persons who had attended the funeral function of a woman at Arimbur, who tested positive, have been sent into quarantine.
In Wayanad
Nineteen persons tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in Wayanad district on Sunday. All of them were returnees from abroad and other States.
District Collector Adeela Abdulla declared 27 wards in four grama panchayats as containment zones after the areas reported COVID-19 cases. They include all wards (17) of the Thirunelly grama panchayat, wards 15 and 16 of Meenangadi; wards 12,10 and 15 of Thondarnadu and wards 3, 6, 7, 8 and 15 of Poothadi grama panchayat.
Of the 171 cases reported in the district so far, 83 had been cured, District Health Department officials said.
In Kannur
Kannur district reported 17 new COVID-19 cases. Among the cases, three arrived from abroad, 12 from other States, and one each are Defence Security Corps (DSC) and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel. Meanwhile, 19 patients were cured of the disease on Sunday.
Those who arrived from abroad were residents of Thalassery, Kuttiyattoor and Munderi. Those who came from other States were residents of Munderi, Chokli, Thripangottur, New Mahi, Panoor, Iritty, Taliparamba and Vengadu. With this, the total number of COVID-19 cases reported in the district rose to 704. There are currently 24,833 persons under observation in the district.
In Kozhikode
It was a day of reprieve for Kozhikode on Sunday when only four new COVID-19 cases were reported from the district while 18 others recovered from the infection.
District Medical Officer V. Jayasree said in a release that they had returned from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Bengaluru in Karnataka, and belonged to Ramanattukara, Unnikulam, Kakkodi and Chelavoor. Those recovered belonged to Vellayil, Nanmanda, Koorachund, Ernakulam, Olavanna, Chekkiyad, Karassery, Puthuppady, Atholy, Ayanchery, Eramala, Koduvally, Chakkittapara, Kakkoor, Kuttiyadi and Thooneri. The number of active COVID-19 cases in the district is 162.
(With inputs from Kasaragod, Malappuram, Kannur, Thrissur, Wayanad, and Kozhikode bureaus)
