A dizzying number of 30 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the district on Tuesday, the biggest number on a single day since the novel coronavirus was first reported in the last week of March in Palakkad.
While 28 of them had come back from other States and abroad, two were found to be their primary contacts. District and health authorities said that there was a clear pattern in the rise in COVID-19 cases in the district.
When nine of the cases had returned from the Maldives by ship on May 17, eight had come back from Chennai and five from Mumbai by road.
When two persons confirmed positive on Tuesday had returned from Karnataka, one person each had come from Kuwait, Pondicherry, Gujarat, and Coimbatore. One person who tested positive here belonged to Malappuram.
The total number COVID-19 cases in the district has now risen to 82. Unlike the previous days, all confirmed cases were not shifted to the District Hospital, Palakkad. Health authorities said some of the new cases would be shifted to the COVID centre at Mangod.
Five cases in Malappuram
In Malappuram district, five new cases were confirmed on Tuesday. All of them had returned from other States and abroad. While two of them had returned from Mumbai on May 21, another returned from Mumbai on May 14. One of them returned from Delhi and another from Dubai on May 20.
District Additional Magistrate N.M. Meharali said that all of them were shifted to the Government Medical College, Manjeri. As many as 49 patients are currently under treatment for COVID-19 at Medical College, Manjeri. One each is from Palakkad and Alapuzha.
District Medical Officer K. Sakeena said that people who had got in touch with those confirmed positive on Tuesday should go into self-quarantine for two weeks. “They should communicate it to health officials,” Dr. Sakeena said.
Those who did not have facilities at home could use the COVID-19 care facility provided by the government.
“None should go to a hospital directly. If they have any symptoms, they should contact the control cell on 0483 2737858, 2737857, 2733251, 2733252, 2733253,” said Dr. Sakeena.