Perumanoor, Division 60 of the Kochi Corporation, has been declared a COVID-19 hotspot with effect from Tuesday midnight.
The area has been categorised as a containment zone after it was found that the primary and secondary contacts of a 49-year-old Air India Express crew member who tested positive recently, were from the area. The employee was a Thevara native. Persons who may have had contacts with the employee will remain in quarantine and be tested. Further steps will be taken based on the test results.
A full lockdown will be enforced in the area. Only essential services will function till further notice. The movement of vehicles and people will be restricted as per the lockdown protocol.
Meanwhile, three more persons have been added to the list of COVID-19 patients in Ernakulam district, taking the total number to 36.
Among the three new patients, two had arrived by the Abu Dhabi-Kochi flight on May 17. A Keezhmad resident aged 56, and a 35-year-old Chengamanad native were asymptomatic. They had moved to home quarantine after seven days of institutional quarantine. However, they were asked to get tested as many on the flight had tested positive for the disease. Both were moved to the Government Medical College, Ernakulam, after the disease was confirmed.
The third person is a native of Alangad and is under treatment at the Anjarakandy COVID-19 care centre in Kannur. The 34-year-old had taken the Salala-Kannur flight on May 28. He was taken to the hospital the same day after showing COVID-19 symptoms.
Seven new persons moved into hospital isolation on Tuesday in the district, taking the total number to 88, after 12 were discharged.
There are 579 persons quarantined in 22 COVID-19 care centres while 349 persons are in paid care centres.
The district also added 879 new persons to home quarantine. After 551 person were released from home quarantine, the total number now is 9,378.
