One more COVID-19 case each was confirmed in Palakkad and Malappuram districts on Saturday. With this, the number of infected persons in Palakkad rose to four, and the number in Malappuram reached eight.
A man from Ottapalam who had been in home quarantine since his arrival from Dubai on March 21 tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday. He reached Karipur airport at 10 p.m. on March 21and reached home in the early hours of March 22. He was under observation since then. He gave his body fluid samples for testing at the Government Taluk Hospital, Ottapalam, on March 26, and continued in home quarantine. He was shifted to the District Hospital in Palakkad on Saturday.
In Malappuram district, a 46-year-old man from Ponmundam near Tirur tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday.
He had returned from Dubai via Sharjah on March 21. He had travelled on Air Arabia flight G 9-454 and reached Karipur at 2.35 a.m. He reached home in his brother’s car and entered into self-quarantine as advised by health officials. When he developed fever on March 23, he reached the isolation ward at the District Hospital, Tirur, in an ambulance and gave his blood sample for testing, and returned home at 7.30 p.m.
He was admitted to the COVID-19 hospital at Manjeri on Saturday as he tested positive. District Collector Jafer Malik said that he had abided by the directions given by the health authorities. He added that the passengers who travelled on G9-454 flight on March 21 should remain in home quarantine and should contact the district control room on 0483 2737858, 2737857, 2733251, 2733252, 2733253.
Meanwhile, Palakkad district witnessed a spurt in the number of persons entering quarantine. From 5,366 persons on Friday, the number of people under observation trebled to 16,128 on Saturday.
Palakkad District Collector D. Balamurali said that the spurt occurred after the people who reached the district by train from other States in the last few days were put under observation. However, he said, the condition of everyone in hospital was stable.
As many as 16,091 are in home quarantine when five are in Taluk Hopsital, Ottapalam, 31 in District Hospital, Palakkad, and one in Taluk Hospital, Mannarkkad.
In Malappuram district, 179 more people entered quarantine, taking the total number to 11,525. Eighty of them are in different hospitals.
As many as 118 fresh health officials were appointed in Malappuram to fight the COVID-19 threat. Among them are 24 doctors and nurses, pharmacists and other paramedical staff.
