Prohibitory orders in 3 Kollam grama panchayats

District reports 3 cases in a day for the first time, all shifted to Parippally hospital

District Collector B. Abdul Nasar imposed prohibitory orders on Chathannur, Sasthamcotta and Poruvazhil grama panchayats after three more persons, including a seven-year-old girl, tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in the district on Saturday.

Kollam has reported three positive cases in a single day for the first time. With this, the number of COVID-19 patients in the district has reached nine. A 51-year-old from Kulathupuzha contracted the infection through contact while the other patient is a 47-year-old ASHA worker from Chathannur.

Girl from Sasthamcotta

The seven-year-old from Sasthamcotta had arrived at the Thiruvananthapuram international airport in an Air Arabia flight (G9442) on March 19. The girl travelled to Sasthamcotta in a private vehicle and was in strict home quarantine till April 15. She had visited the Thrikkovilvattom primary health centre in a relative’s scooter on April 20 for quarantine completion certificate.

She also went to a relative’s house at Bharanikkavu and her swab was collected on April 23 after she developed fever.

She tested positive on the 35th day after returning from Sharjah. The Health Department has traced 63 primary and 12 secondary contacts of the girl. The Kulathupuzha patient, who lives behind the Ambalakkadavu forest quarters, had regular contact with the person who first tested positive from the area on Tuesday.

His routine included frequent visits to Mathilakom Colony and Ambalakkadavu to meet friends. The Health Department has traced his 18 primary and 22 secondary contacts. The ASHA worker’s sample was one of the 15 random ones collected by the sentinel surveillance team formed by the district administration to identify and prevent community spread.

The authorities are investigating her epidemiological link and tracing her contacts.

The three patients were shifted to Government Medical College Hospital, Parippally, and the child’s parents are in medical isolation.

All the secondary contacts of the patients are also under observation at corona care centres.