The test positivity rate in Ernakulam crossed 30% on Monday and hit a figure of 32.59% when 3,291 new cases were recorded.
Testing fell to 10,099 samples collected on the day when the figure was well over 16,000 samples till Saturday this past weekend.
Recoveries were higher than new cases on Monday. While 3,291 tested positive, 3,500 people recovered and 176 people were discharged from hospitals and other facilities.
Two health workers and a police officer tested positive. Thrikkakara recorded 124 new cases, followed by Palluruthy with 123. Pallipuram saw 95 cases, Rayamangalam 93, Vazhakulam 81, Choornikkara 78, and Payipra 71.
The district’s active caseload stands at 53,826. While 46,963 people are recovering at home, 2,048 patients are admitted at private hospitals. At the Government Medical College Hospital, 181 patients are recovering, 67 are at PVS Hospital, 62 people are recuperating at the Aluva District Hospital and 26 patients are at the superspecialty block of the Ernakulam General Hospital. A total of 271 new admissions were made to hospitals and other centres on Monday.
While 36 people are at FLTCs, 458 are at SLTCs, and 380 are at domiciliary care centres. As many as 375 patients are admitted in intensive care units.
The administration is in the process of taking over a block of a medical college and hospital, where around 60 beds will be available, said District Medical Officer N. K. Kuttappan. Preparation are also under way to reopen the treatment centre at the Adlux convention centre, which was closed in December last year, he said. All major government hospitals that have inpatient facilities are being equipped with oxygen beds. While setting up the beds was not a problem, continuous oxygen supply could be an issue considering the growing caseload, though the district had not faced any major hassle so far, he said.
A sufficient number of large tanks was not available for storage in hospitals, though smaller cylinders were available, he said. “The oxygen war room that was set up recently and the effort to use industrial cylinders for medical oxygen could help,” he said.
