The Alappuzha district administration has imposed lockdown in seven grama panchayats and 36 wards in five municipalities to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Officials said here on Monday that triple lockdown restrictions were imposed in these places after the average Weekly Infection Population Ratio (WIPR) stood above seven.
District Collector A. Alexander issued an order imposing tight restrictions in all wards in Mannancherry, Aryad, Chettikulangara, Kanjikuzhy, Thamarakulam, Muhamma, and Muthukulam grama panchayats. Triple lockdown has been imposed in 16 wards in Cherthala municipality, seven wards in Chengannur, six in Alappuzha, five in Mavelikara, and two in Kayamkulam. Officials said that all the wards would be under police surveillance. Traffic, except emergency travel, is banned. Shops selling essentials would open between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. Public Distribution System would function from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Restrictions will remain in place till September 4.
The district logged 1,486 COVID-19 cases on Monday and recorded eight deaths due to the infection. The test positivity rate for the day stood at 15.73%.
Of the fresh cases, 1,445 patients contracted the disease through local transmission, while the source of infection of 37 others remains unknown. Four health workers were also diagnosed with the disease.
The 1,486 cases include 160 reported from Alappuzha, 112 from Mannancherry, 62 from Kayamkulam, 55 from Bharanikavu, 53 from Pathiyoor, 47 from Cherthala South, 45 from Cherthala, and 42 each from Mararikulam South and Pandanad. As many as 1,246 people who were under treatment for the disease in the district tested negative. The active COVID-19 caseload stands at 11,621.
