Of the 121 persons who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 on Wednesday, 116 acquired infection through local contact, while five arrived from outside the State.
West Kochi remains a hotbed of the disease, with 12 persons from Fort Kochi, three from Mattancherry, four from Palluruthy, and three from Thoppumpady testing positive.
In Chellanam, six persons tested positive, while six officers of the Navy were also infected. Ten persons from Vennala and eight from Thrikkakara have tested positive.
Places like Kadungalloor and Edathala, which were part of the larger Aluva cluster, continue to register positive cases, with four persons from Kadungalloor and three from Edathala turning positive.
Other positive cases were reported from Ayavana, Kadavanthra, Vyttila, Maradu, Edakochi, Kuttampuzha, Kumbalangi, Kumbalam, Nellikuzhi, Choornikkara, Mulavukad, Vengola, Kadamakudy, and Kalamassery.
A total of 51 persons recovered and tested negative, while 1,355 people are being treated for the disease. As part of the district administration’s strategy to intensify testing, 4,653 samples were collected—1,516 samples were sent from government facilities and 3,137 from private labs and hospitals.
Chellanam
With Chellanam recording another spike in positive cases, 107 antigen and RT-PCR tests were done on Wednesday, of which six antigen tests returned positive. At the Puthenthode Government Higher Secondary School, test kits for around 100 persons were arranged, but only 47 were used, since most symptomatic people remain reluctant to get tested, said a health official.
Another testing facility was set up at St. Mary’s School in Chellanam, where 60 tests were done. A car and an ambulance were arranged to transport people to the two testing centres, the official added. After Chellanam had seen a fall in the number of cases a few days ago, the first-line treatment centres there had stopped functioning after patients were discharged, he said.
Over phone, ASHA workers have been coaxing primary contacts and symptomatic people in the area into getting tested, said Daisy Joseph, an ASHA worker from Ward 8 of the panchayat, where 22 persons had tested positive, and around 25 families remain in quarantine.
