The district on Wednesday recorded the highest single-day surge in COVID-19 cases with 2,140 persons testing positive for the viral infection.
Of the fresh cases, 2,119 persons contracted the virus through local transmission. Among the local bodies, Kottayam municipality continued to lead the table with 235 cases, followed by Ramapuram with 101 cases. The test positivity rate, meanwhile, stood high at 24.75%.
With 379 recoveries during the day, the district currently has 10,878 active cases while 25,859 persons are under surveillance.
Two sources
According to District Collector M. Anjana, majority of the fresh cases were reported among people who attended various functions or among family members. “Two more spots where the virus has spread through the same route will soon be declared as clusters,” the official said.
As part of enforcing the COVID-19 protocol, 84 sectoral magistrates have been appointed.
Vaccination
Taking note of the chaos over the distribution of vaccine in the district, the authorities have decided to regulate the crowd by administering doses to only those who register in the ‘cowin’ portal or the Arogyasethu app. Besides closing the window for spot registration, the mega vaccination camps in the district too have been closed down .
According to officials, the distribution of vaccine in Kottayam will now be carried out through 36 camps. Each venue will admit a maximum of 200 persons.
Tension at vaccination camp
The vaccination camp at Baker Memorial School in Kottayam witnessed some tense moments following an altercation between the public and the police. Though the authorities had announced their decision to limit the vaccine doses to those who have registered on the portal, people poured into the venue with the hope of carrying out spot registration. As the authorities tried to disperse the crowd, a section of people protested. The issue, however, was settled soon following the intervention of the local police. Though the authorities had made arrangements to distribute 1,000 doses, only 860 persons received the vaccine from the camp here during the day.
