Wayanad district is witnessing a surge in COVID-19 cases.
According to District Medical Officer R. Renuka, as many as 605 persons tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 on Sunday. Of them, 599, including six health workers, contracted the virus through local transmission. While five persons retuned from other States, one came back from Saudi Arabia, Dr. Renuka said.
The district has so far reported 31,932 cases. Of them, 28,651 have recovered, including 86 persons on the day.
As many as 2,562 persons are undergoing treatment, and 1,226 are under observation.
Meanwhile, district panchayat president Shamsad Marakkar urged the government to allot sufficient funds to local bodies to adopt preventive steps to contain the spread of the pandemic on a war footing.
Local bodies are not in a position to allot funds for the purpose, Mr. Marakkar said. Moreover, the election model code of conduct also did not allow local bodies to allot funds to meet unforeseen circumstances. Hence, the intervention of the District Disaster Management Authority is the need of the hour, he added.
The Health Department should conduct testing camps and vaccination drives at the ward level to combat the pandemic, he said. Health camps should also be organised in tribal hamlets with the support of tribal promoters.
He suggested that COVID-19 monitoring committees be constituted at the grama panchayat level.
