With the repeat sample tests of the last three cases also found negative, the district became free of COVID-19 cases on Sunday.
The total number of persons found positive including a U.K. citizen who stayed at Tea County in Munnar was 10 and and six were infested with the virus from a Cheruthoni-based politician who travelled widely in the State. His contacts were a teacher, her child; mother, child and wife of another contact who was a party colleague. A Nedumkandam-based person, who had attended the religious meet at Nizamuddin also tested positive for COVID-19, in addition to a Thodupuzha resident.
District Medical Officer T.R.Rekha on Sunday said that all the virus infested persons admitted to the COVID-19 hospital were discharged on Sunday after being found negative in the two consecutive tests on Saturday.
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At present the district is free of COVID-19 cases, she said and added that it did not mean that the district is completely free of it. The Department is checking cases to find anyone infested with the virus.
She said that the increased cases in Tamil Nadu is a concern and the border areas were being closely monitored to check cross-border movement of people.
The district was also the first one where the district hospital was converted into a COVID-19 hospital. The new hospital building at Thodupuzha lacked power connection and other facilities. They were all arranged in a day and all patients were shifted to the isolation wards there.
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The last positive cases in the district were reported on April 2, when five contacts of the Cheruthoni-based politician were tested positive.
Welcome
According to District Collector H.Dinesan, no positive COVID-19 cases is a welcome message, though the work related to it did not end there. The success will be when no future cases are reported and people should be more vigilant in the coming days, he added.