Five more persons tested positive for COVID-19 in the district on Monday, raising the number of patients currently under treatment to 53. They included a 10-month-old boy from Karakurissi who returned from Salalah on May 20 along with his mother and four-year-old sister.
A 58-year-old man from Cherpulassery, a 52-year-old man from Mannarkkad, a 44-year-old man from Varod, Ottapalam, and a 50-year-old man from Thonipadam, Alathur, were the other persons who tested positive for coronavirus on Monday.
The Cherpulassery and Mannarkkad men returned from Chennai on May 17 and May 15 respectively. The Varod and Thonipadam men returned from Maharashtra on May 18 and May 11 respectively.
Testing centre
Among those under treatment in Palakkad are a man from Malappuram, a woman from Idukki, and two men from Thrissur. Two persons from Palakkad are also under treatment at the Medical Colleges in Ernakulam and Manjeri.
Meanwhile, a COVID-19 test centre began functioning at the District TB Centre here on Monday. Officials said that it was the first such facility among TB Centres in the State.
Twenty samples can be selected and tested within eight hours.
District Panchayat President K. Santakumari inaugurated the facility.
The tests will be done by using TrueNat machines made available by the Central TB Division. TrueNat machines were made available after the district set up a biosafety cabinet at the District TB Centre.