As many as 10 Health workers, eight of whom working at private hospitals, one from Chellanam, and another at a primary health centre in Thripunithura, tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 on Saturday.
A 24-year-old from Mookkannoor, a 32-year-old from Kottappady, and a 33-year-old from Edathala,zz who are all working at a private hospital in Aluva, have tested positive.
A 25-year-old from Avoly, who works at a private hospital, has also tested positive.
A 30-year-old nurse at a private hospital in Keezhmad where a patient who had earlier tested positive sought treatment, has been infected. A 100-bedded first-line treatment centre (FLTC) was set up at a government school within the panchayat limits, and it will begin functioning in two days, said Keezhmad panchayat president K.A. Ramesh.
A 51-year-old from Thripunithura, a 24-year-old from Panangad, and a 30-year-old, all workers at private hospitals in the district, have tested positive. They had all come into contact with people who had tested positive earlier, said a release here.
The source of infection in a 51-year-old junior public health nurse working at a primary health centre in Thripunithura is still being traced. According to municipal officials, she had sought treatment at a private hospital where she tested positive.
They were among the 44 persons who tested positive on Saturday — 38 acquired the infection through contact, and six persons had arrived from outside the State.
From the Chellanam cluster, 12 persons tested positive, taking the total number of patients in the area to 179. As many as 760 samples have been collected from the area so far.
As many as 16 persons tested positive from the Aluva cluster. From the Aluva market area and surrounding panchayats, 855 samples have been collected so far. Among those who tested positive was a 69-year-old from Kanjoor who is the contact of another patient from the area.
Nine persons tested negative on Saturday, and 676 people are receiving treatment for the disease.
A 26-year-old who arrived from Dubai, a 29-year-old from Maharashtra, a 49-year-old from Andhra Pradesh, a 40-year-old from Muscat, a 23-year-old from New Delhi, and a 23-year-old who arrived from Hyderabad have all tested positive.
Meanwhile, all OPDs at VPS Lakeshore Hospital in Kochi will remain closed till Tuesday.
