A total of 69 persons, including 13 inmates of Kollam District Jail, tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 on Sunday.
Among the patients are 51 contact cases, 12 persons from abroad, and six others who had travelled from Arunachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
Kollam currently has 8,548 persons under observation and the total number of samples collected is 29,624.
Recovery rate
While 372 persons completed home quarantine in the district on Sunday, the Health Department has traced 7,153 primary and 1,988 secondary contacts of the fresh cases of COVID-19.
The district also recorded an impressive recovery rate with 168 persons testing negative for SARS-CoV-2 on Sunday.
Kollam has been reporting a higher number of recoveries during the last five days. Kollam District Jail currently has 38 cases including those tested positive on Saturday and the authorities are trying to trace the source of infection.
Matter of concern
“It’s a matter of great concern since jail is a closed community. We have moved all the patients to a separate block and deployed doctors and other health workers there. All the staff members and inmates will be tested in the coming days,” says Dr. R. Sreelatha, District Medical Officer.
FLTC in jail
Since chances are high for more people to test positive for the virus, the Health Department is planning to set up a COVID-19 first-line treatment centres (FLTCs) in the jail. Animal Husbandry Department has constituted an emergency veterinary team for livestock treatment in hotspots and containment zones in the district.
Veterinary teams
The taluk-level veterinary teams that include senior veterinary surgeon, veterinary surgeons, doctors from night veterinary service, and livestock inspectors, will follow all COVID-19 guidelines strictly.
The district administration has also formed an IT-based special monitoring committee for ensuring immediate and effective treatment for COVID-19 patients.
The special monitoring committee will be looking into the availability of sufficient beds for the patients, internsive care units and ventilators, helpline and telehealth.
