District Collector S. Suhas said in an online briefing that a gradual withdrawal of restrictions would begin in Chellanam, Aluva, Kadungalloor, Karumaloor and Chengamanad, with some wards being released from containment zone status.
Four large clusters persist in the district – Chellanam, Aluva market, Keezhmad and West Kochi.
Chellanam had been the biggest cluster in the district with a total of 259 cases, but the situation there had mostly stabilised, he said. Wards one to six in the panchayat would be released from containment zone status.
The Aluva market cluster, which had recorded 95 cases, was a big challenge, he said. But with the situation easing to some extent, only divisions 11 to 15, and 24, 25 and 26 of the Aluva municipality will remain containment zones. In the Kadungalloor panchayat, only wards 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 15 and 18 will remain containment zones. In Karumaloor, only ward 11, and in Chengamanad, wards 7 and 18 will be containment zones.
In the Keezhmad cluster, which recorded 134 cases totally, restrictions will continue.
The Collector said that the situation in West Kochi remained challenging due to the density of the population. Four spreaders had been identified.
Divisions 1 to 28 of the Kochi Corporation will remain containment zones with strict restrictions on movement, since all divisions either had reported positive cases or had primary contacts of positive patients. The maximum number of cases, 38, was reported from Kalvathy.
While orders were issued to close the BOT bridge at Thoppumpady from Sunday midnight onwards, the bridge was open on Monday, allowing only absolutely essential movement of vehicles, the Thoppumpady police said. Transport between West Kochi and the mainland via the bridge would be allowed only in cases of medical emergencies, supply of essentials or in the case of Navy personnel, the police said.
The closure of the bridge had raised some hackles in the Thoppumpady area on Monday. Kunjachan K.K., councillor representing Thoppumpady, said that division 11 (Thoppumpady) had registered no COVID cases recently and that the closure of the bridge was an unnecessary move.
FLTCs
Around 8,544 beds are ready at first-line treatment centres (FLTCs) in the district. With FLTCs now having to admit category B patients as well according to State guidelines, 300 beds at the Adlux convention centre would be upgraded with additional facilities to accommodate patients with more severe symptoms.
At PVS Hospital, 140 beds would be available for category C patients, who might be in critical condition. Private hospitals would also take in category B and C patients, the Collector said.
