The district witnessed a slight fall in COVID-19 cases on Friday, when 4,200 persons tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.
According to District Medical Officer V. Jayasree, there were 4,076 cases of local transmission while the source could not be traced in 113 cases. Three patients came from foreign countries and eight from other States. With 3,194 persons recovering, there are 53,241 active cases in the district at present.
Even while the average test positivity rate (TPR) in the district remains 27.49%, the TPR has remained above 30% in 28 local bodies from May 3 to May 7. The TPR was above 30% only in five local bodies during the period from April 12 to April 18, indicating a severe surge in the number of cases in rural local bodies within two weeks.
The highest TPR has been recorded in Velam panchayat (43.7%) while Panangad (40.7%), Ramanattukara (40%), Chengottukavu (39.3%), Arikulam (38.4%), Nochad (37.6%), Feroke (37.5%), Chorode (37.4%), Olavanna (37.1%), Kottur (35.7%), Moodadi (35.4%) and Thalakkulathur (35.2%) are not far behind.
There are 45 local bodies where the TPR is between 20% and 30%. The rate is below 20% in five local bodies — Atholi (19.9%), Chakkittapara (19.7%), Kattippara (19.3%), Kunnamangalam (18.3%) and Changaroth (18.3%). Atholi and Chakkittapara, which had a TPR above 30% the previous week, have managed to bring down the spread considerably.
Meanwhile, the District Collector said that all hospitals with more than 50 beds would be used for COVID-19 treatment. He has entrusted village officers to add the hospitals to the COVID-19 Jagratha portal. The Collector also ordered for all patients above 50 years of age, migrant labourers and those in the Scheduled Tribe category to be shifted to first-line treatment centres.
