Fresh COVID-19 cases rose above 1,000 after a gap of around three months in Kozhikode district on Wednesday. Four persons were reported to have tested positive for the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 too.
As many as 1,164 people were found to be infected when 7,338 samples were tested. The daily test positivity rate is 16.13%.
It was on October 13 last when 1,155 tested positive for the virus last time. The figure for October 16 was 937. The numbers of infected persons on October 20, October 23, October 27, and October 30, respectively, were 996, 914, 961, and 997. Thereafter, it was on a downward spiral. After schools reopened, fresh cases surged to 932 on November 17. There was a drop in the next days.
TPR goes up
However, with the Omicron variant of the virus coming to the fore, there has been a surge in infections since the first week of January. From 451 persons getting infected on January 6, the number rose to 801 on January 11. The daily TPR, which may not be the only indicator of transmissibility, is up from 6.52% on January 6 to 16.13% on Wednesday.
The crowding witnessed during the Christmas holidays and the days leading up to New Year’s Day could have led to the spike in infections. Social distancing is given the go-by and many are thronging public places, even without proper face masks. Fifty four persons were under treatment in government hospitals and 141 in private hospitals on January 6.
The figures were 77 and 157 respectively on Wednesday. The active caseload was 5,989.
