Fresh COVID-19 cases saw a surge in Kozhikode on Wednesday when 468 people were declared tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in the district. The number of total active cases from the district is now 3,096.
Two deaths were reported at the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, on Tuesday and Wednesday. While a 60-year-old woman from Nallalam in Kozhikode died on Wednesday, a 42-year-old man from Puthuppanam near Vadakara in the district died on Tuesday, said a medical bulletin.
According to the District Medical Officer, 417 of the new cases were through local transmission of the infection. The source was unknown in 37 cases. The others had returned either from abroad or from other States. The number of cases through local transmission in Kozhikode Corporation is 161. As many as 155 people recovered from the infection too.
Meanwhile, local bodies in the district have been asked to purchase pulse oximeters to help senior citizens determine the oxygen levels in their blood. This was decided at a meeting convened by District Collector S. Sambasiva Rao on Wednesday. Each ward will have at least one pulse oximeter and ward-level rapid response team members would visit senior citizens to inspect their condition.
Home isolation
Mr. Rao said that steps had been taken for home isolation treatment for infected persons if there is a peak in their numbers. However, people would be given a choice and those aged above 50 and suffering from other diseases would be compulsorily shifted to first-line treatment centres or COVID hospitals. The principle applies to symptomatic patients as well. Pulse oximeter should be provided to those aged between 40 and 50 and in home isolation. Mr. Rao claimed that the daily tests in Kozhikode district had crossed the 5,000-mark.
In Malappuram
Malappuram district saw 298 fresh COVID-19 cases and 257 recoveries on Wednesday.
District Collector K. Gopalakrishnan said that 258 of the cases had been infected through local contacts. There were 23 cases whose source of infection could not be traced.
Mr. Gopalakrishnan said that the concerted efforts by the different departments and people’s cooperation had played a significant role in containing the spread of the virus within reach. He said 10,562 infected people had recovered from the disease in the district.
There were seven health workers among the newly infected cases. While nine cases came from other States, one came from abroad. Health officials said that 32,851 people were quarantined across the district, and 3,104 active COVID-19 cases were being treated.
In Thrissur
As many as 263 people, including 11 health workers, were tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in Thrissur on Wednesday. There are now 2,220 active cases in the district. There were 256 local transmission cases on Wednesday. The source of infection of four people could not be found. The district also reported 220 recoveries.
So far, 7,387 people have been diagnosed with the disease.
In Palakkad
In Palakkad district, 220 people tested positive on Wednesday. One of them was from Thiruvananthapuram. As many as 160 persons contracted the virus through local transmission.
In Wayanad
A total of 99 people tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in Wayanad on Wednesday, taking the total number of active cases in the district to 527.
Of the newly infected, all except six were local transmission cases. Six persons came from other States.
The new cases include a health worker from Edavaka grama panchayat, who was working in Kannur district. Thondernad panchayat reported 22 new local transmission cases. The district also reported 12 recoveries.
In Kannur
Kannur district saw 247 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday. Of the total cases, 215 people contracted the virus through contact.
In Kasaragod
In Kasaragod, 119 people tested positive. Among them, 113 are local transmission cases.
The district also reported 83 recoveries.
(With inputs from Malappuram, Thrissur, Palakkad, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod bureaus)
