7 test positive in Ernakulam

63 active cases of COVID-19 in district

Lurking danger: Despite the threat of COVID-19, people do not adhere to physical distancing norms at Chambakkara market in Kochi. A scene from the market on Saturday.

Seven more persons, including a three-and-a-half-year-old child, tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 on Saturday, taking the total number of active cases in the district to 63.

However, 144 samples were tested negative while results are awaited on another 317 samples. A fresh batch of 128 samples was sent for testing from the district on Saturday.

The persons who tested positive had come from Bengaluru, Delhi, Muscat, Dubai and Nigeria through the Kochi airport earlier this month. This included two Maharashtra residents and one West Bengal resident.

As many as 767 persons were sent in home quarantine in the district while 841 were removed from the list on completing the quarantine term.

11,531 in quarantine

The district now has 11,531 people in quarantine, including 9,905 in their homes, 562 in COVID care centres and 1,064 in paid quarantine institutes.

Twenty-eight persons were admitted to hospitals for monitoring, including 14 at the Government Medical College Hospital, two at the Karuvelipady taluk hospital, one at the Paravur taluk hospital and 11 in private hospitals while 27 were discharged from hospitals.