Idukki became a COVID-19-free district again on Saturday with the lone patient testing negative for the virus.
The district was downgraded from green to orange zone on April 27 after four cases were reported. The cases were the mother of a COVID-19-affected person at Elappara who came from Mysuru, a doctor attached to the Primary Health Centre at Elappara, a nurse at Thodupuzha, and a person from Tamil Nadu. Though three more persons tested positive in the subsequent days at a newly set up lab at Kottayam, two tests at the virology lab in Alappuzha found the samples negative.
A health official said though the district was COVID-19-free, it would be included in the green zone only if no cases were reported for 21 continuous days. Areas declared as hotspots continue to be under strict vigilance and there are curbs on the movement of people.
Border areas too will be monitored strictly as there is a spurt in cases in neighbouring Tamil Nadu. A corona care centre was set up at Thodupuzha on Friday to accommodate those arriving from outside the State. In the first phase, 38 persons were admitted there.
