720 people test positive in Kerala on Tuesday, contact cases on the rise.
Kerala reported 720 cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, with the source of infection in many being traced to contacts of confirmed patients.
As of Tuesday, a total of 13,994 cases of the coronavirus have been reported in the state so far. Out of 720 new patients, 528 of them had been infected through contact transmission. Eighty two of the cases were imported from abroad and 54 from other states.
Seventeen health workers also tested positive on Tuesday. Moreover, 29 DSC (Defence Security Forces), 4 ITBP (Indo Tibetan Border Police), 1 KLF and 4 KSC personnel also tested positive on Tuesday. With this the total active cases in the state has increased to 8,056.
The state also reported one more COVID-19 death - that of 72-year-old Victoria, a native of Pulluvila in Thiruvananthapuram, one of two localities in the state capital which has reported community spread. This takes the total fatalities due to COVID-19 to 45.
Meanwhile, 274 people also recovered from COVID-19 in the state on Tuesday.
Rise in contact cases
At present, Kerala has 101 active clusters spread out across the state.
Further, the number of infections through contact transmission too has risen. Out of 151 cases in Thiruvananthapuram, 137 patients were infected through contact transmission. The source of infection for seven patients is yet to be traced.
Out of 85 new patients in Kollam, 76 were contact transmission cases. Twenty out of 40 patients in Pathanamthitta were infected from contacts. Pathanamthitta municipality too has reported a huge cluster of coronavirus cases followed by Adoor, Kumarassery and Kumbala.
In Kottayam, 34 out of 39 cases were infected through contacts, with the Changanassery market emerging as a cluster.
In Ernakulam, 63 out of 80 cases were infected through contacts, including health workers from non-covid wards. The source of infection for 9 patients are yet to be traced. Aluva’s Keezhmadu, Choornikkara, Edathala, Chellanam, Alangad and Chengamanad are particularly vulnerable.
A two week lockdown has been imposed in two areas in Palakkad, namely Pattambi fish market and Nellayi in the Ottapalam block after a COVID-19 patient infected over 100 others in the area.
In Malappuram, 23 out of 61 cases were due to contact transmission. The district administration is on high alert after seven employees from a fish market in Kondotty tested positive. The source of infection for six of the patients remain untraced.
In Wayanad, most cases were reported from Thondernad, after workers returned from plantations in Karnataka. With 19 people testing positive in Thondernad, the village has been labelled as a limited community cluster.
Currently, there are 353 hotspots in the state.
Samples sent
A total of 3,08,348 samples have been sent for testing so far out of which results for 7,410 are awaited.
A total of 1,62,444 persons in the state have been placed under observation. Out of this 8,277 persons are in hospitals. On Tuesday, 954 more people were shifted to various hospitals in the state.
COVID-19 front line treatment centres under local self governments
As on July 19, the state has readied 157 COVID-19 Front Line Treatment Centres with 20,404 beds, 305 doctors, 572 nurses, 62 pharmacists and 27 lab technicians.
“We plan to add more and by July 23, make 742 CFLTCs with beds rising to 69,215. All those patients tested positive, who are asymptomatic and those with mild symptoms will be treated here. Separate bathrooms with semi permanent toilets will be provided,” the CM added.