Three new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the State from Wayanad on Wednesday, taking the total case tally to 502.
All three cases are contacts of a truck drive, who had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 virus after his recent visit to Chennai. Those affected are his mother, wife and the son of his lorry cleaner.
Of the 502 who have so far tested positive in the State, only 37 persons are currently undergoing treatment in hospitals. A total of 21,342 persons are under surveillance, of whom 308 are in isolation wards in hospitals and the rest in home quarantine.
33,800 samples tested
Kerala has tested 33,800 samples so far, of which, 33,265 have returned a negative result. About 1,024 samples were tested on Tuesday. There are no COVID-19 patients in four districts in the Sate. Kannur has 18, Kottayam 6, Wayanad 4, Kollam and Kasaragod 3 each, and Pathanamthitta, Idukki, and Palakkad have one case each.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said doctors and health-care workers in public and private sector institutions should work together in a coordinated and decentralised manner to help the State face the uphill task of containing COVID-19, alongside the monsoon epidemics which will bring hordes of people to hospitals in the coming days.
980 doctors
Even as the health system is focussed on COVID-19 , the upcoming rainy season poses new and unprecedented challenges as doctors will have to distinguish COVID-19 patients from those coming to hospital with seasonal illnesses and treat both appropriately.
Mr. Vijayan said he had pointed out these challenges ahead during a videoconference with the managements of private hospitals on Tuesday. As part of strengthening COVID-19 continent measures and anticipating the increased requirement of human resource in hospitals to tackle the monsoon season ahead, the government has decided to appoint 980 doctors on temporary basis for three months in primary and community health centres in the State. Those who have completed their stint as house surgeons would be appointed for three months.
