Fresh COVID-19 cases saw a surge again in Kozhikode district on Wednesday when 1,158 people tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. This is the second-highest caseload on the day in the State.
According to the District Medical Officer, the test positivity rate again went up to 14.31% when 8,355 samples were sent for lab tests. As many as 1,113 people acquired infection through contact, and 547 of them were from within the Kozhikode Corporation limits. The source of infection is unknown in 43 cases.
A total of 705 people recovered, and the number of active cases in the district is 10,962, among whom 6,802 are under home isolation.
In Malappuram
When 668 new COVID-19 cases were registered in the district on Wednesday, 832 people were cured of the disease. District health officials said the higher number of recoveries than fresh cases of infection was a reason for happiness.
They added that 602 cases were found to have been infected through direct local contact. However, there were 51 cases whose source of origin could not be traced. The newly-infected cases included two health workers. Thirteen cases were found to have come from across State borders.
District Collector K. Gopalakrishnan requested people to maintain vigil against the spread of the disease. He said those in the vulnerable groups, especially senior citizens, children below age 10, and pregnant women, should take extreme care. Malappuram has 10,337 active cases under treatment, and nearly 55,000 people are in quarantine.
In Kannur
As many as 566 people tested positive for the virus in Kannur on Wednesday. While 509 contracted the disease through local contact, six came from abroad and 34 from other States. Seventeen health workers too were infected.
With this, the number of COVID-19 cases reported so far in the district has gone up to 21,174. Meanwhile, the number of those who have been cured of the disease has reached 14,884.
So far, 86 people have been confirmed to have died due to COVID-19. Of the existing cases, 4,628 are being treated at home, and the remaining 885 are at various hospitals and first-line treatment centres (FLTCs).
In Kasaragod
In Kasaragod, 200 more tested positive for SARS-COV-2 on Wednesday. Of those diagnosed with the disease, 190 contracted it through local transmission, while seven came from abroad and three from other States.
This brings the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases to 17,090 so far. Meanwhile, there are a total of 4,672 people under observation in the district, including 3,724 in home and 948 in institutional observation.
In Wayanad
Wayanad district reported 132 COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, of which 122 are those of local transmission.
District Medical Officer R. Renuka said two health workers had tested positive on Wednesday, while the source is unknown in one case. Ten new patients came from other States. Meanwhile, 88 persons were cured of the disease and discharged from hospitals.
As on Wednesday, 6,045 cases have been reported in the district. While 40 died, 4,968 have recovered. At present, there are 1,037 patients under treatment.
As many as 485 persons were kept under observation. At present, there are 5,468 people under observation, the DMO said.
(With inputs from Malappuram, Kannur, Kasaragod and Wayanad bureaus)
