Triple lockdown restrictions will be imposed in Thurayoor and Olavanna grama panchayats in Kozhikode district which continue to report a high test positivity rate (TPR) of above 18% for COVID-19 even as the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 has been reported from here.
According to sources, nine cases of the Delta variant of the virus have been reported from within the Kozhikode Corporation limits and four others from Mukkom area. These samples were sent over a period of a month. Health officials said there was no cause for concern.
Meanwhile, the district administration said Valayam, Kavilumpara, Kayakkodi, Narippatta, Koodaranji, Chakkittapara, Kuttiyadi, Madavoor and Koorachundu grama panchayats will have normal social life as the TPR there was below 6%.
Local bodies with a TPR above 18% are included in ‘D’ category, those with a TPR between 12% and 18% are in ‘C’ category, local bodies with a TPR between 6% and 12% are in ‘B’ category, while those with a TPR below 6% are in ‘A’ category. Local bodies in ‘B’ category will have semi-lockdown, while those in ‘C’ category will have complete lockdown.
As many as 42 grama panchayats and Vadakara, Koduvally, Mukkom, Ramanattukara and Feroke municipalities, and Kozhikode Corporation are in ‘B’ category. A total of 17 grama panchayats and Koyilandy and Payyoli municipalities are in the ‘C’ category. Saturdays and Sundays will see complete lockdown in all regions. Travellers over seating capacity will not be allowed in buses in local bodies included in ‘A’ and ‘B’ categories. Besides, critical containment zones and containment zones too have been declared in wards based on the intensity of the COVID-19 spread.
The District Medical Officer said 1,254 fresh COVID cases were reported from the district on Wednesday, of which 1,239 were through local transmission of the infection. The source of 14 others was not known. As many as 11,266 samples were tested, while the daily TPR was 11.32%. A total of 785 people recovered from the infection, and the active caseload jumped to 11,437.