With Kozhikode district being on top of the chart in the number of COVID-19 cases being reported daily, the police have strengthened vigilance. Stringent action is being taken against those venturing out of homes unnecessarily, especially in critical containment zones.
As many as 1,306 cases were reported in the district on Wednesday for violation of the COVID-19 protocol. Most cases were against those who did not wear masks properly, and around 1,200 people were slapped with fines. The remaining cases pertained to failure in maintaining physical distancing, crowding, and delay in closing shops.
TPR goes up
Meanwhile, the number of fresh cases in the district came down slightly on Wednesday, though the test positivity rate (TPR) went up. The district recorded 4,317 new cases, while the TPR stood at 27.17%. Among the new cases are six who came from abroad and 15 who returned from other States. The source is unknown in 106 cases, while 4,190 people contracted the infection through local transmission. At the same time, 1,487 people were cured of the disease on Wednesday. At present, there are 37,467 COVID-19 patients in Kozhikode.
Collector’s order
The District Collector has directed all local bodies to ensure that the COVID-19 protocol is strictly followed in every locality. It includes extra restrictions in containment zones, critical containment zones, and micro containment zones based on the number of cases being reported. It is necessary to follow the Health Department guidelines to stop the spread of the disease, the Collector said.
He called upon religious and cultural leaders to ensure that the restrictions are strictly implemented. A 20-member voluntary group should be formed under every ward-level rapid response team. Those who have been in contact with patients should be isolated and kept under observation. If they cannot be home-quarantined, they shall be shifted to domiciliary care centres, the Collector said.
Covin portal
There have been complaints that the registration for vaccination through the Covin portal was not smooth. The available slots filled up very fast, and many found the process frustrating. The Health Department has come up with a list of centres where vaccines will be administered on Thursday. So far, 1,02,463 people have been administered two doses of the vaccine in the district. A total of 5,28,709 doses have been administered.