Chellanam panchayat and 13 of the 26 wards in Aluva municipality were classified as containment zones on Wednesday, as the district fights the spread of COVID-19.
More zones
Besides wards 9 to 20 and 23 of Aluva municipality, ward 4 of Maradu municipality, the entire Chellanam panchayat, ward 1 of Edathala panchayat and ward 7 of Kadungallur panchayat have been classified as containment zones.
The Chambakkara and Varapuzha fish markets have also been closed and declared as containment zones from Wednesday midnight.
Meanwhile, ward 2 of Amballur panchayat and ward 8 of Parakkadavu panchayat were removed from the list of containment zones.
Minister for Agriculture V. S. Sunilkumar said the situation was turning grim, and that if the disease spread was not brought under control, all wards in Aluva would be declared containment zones.
Ward 4 of Maradu Municipality too was declared a containment zone on Wednesday, he added. The wholesale vegetable market at Maradu will operate under strict vigil, said a communication from the district administration.
Speaking to The Hindu earlier in the day, the Minister said Kochi as a whole might not need triple lockdown but pointed out that the situation in Aluva and Vennala areas was quite serious.
Chellanam panchayat is being shut down in the wake of the rise in the number of cases due to possible social spread. The steps being adopted by the district administration include closure of the Champakkara market for a week. The market had reopened after two days on Tuesday. The Varapuzha wholesale fish market too has been closed.
The Minister also said that the Ernakulam market would not be reopened immediately. One person linked to the market tested positive for the disease on Wednesday, said a communication from the Public Relations Department. According to the Minister, there is no case for closure of the district. He appealed to those with COVID-19 symptoms not to spread the disease by venturing out of their homes.
Mr. Sunil Kumar said the authorities had substantially stepped up the number of tests. Around 1,200 samples are being tested in the district every day. The Government Medical College at Kalamassery tests an average of 250 samples, while private hospitals examine 70 samples a day. Private laboratories test around 600 samples.
Meanwhile, antibody tests are done at the Cochin International Airport. With private hospitals beginning antigen tests, it will soon be possible to identify instances of community spread, the Minister said.
There has been no community spread so far in district, Mr. Sunil Kumar said. The source of infection of all positive cases, except seven cases, have been identified.
