Of the 115 persons who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in Ernakulam on Friday, more than half were from the Chellanam and Aluva market clusters. The district recorded a fourth COVID-related death after a nun who died on Wednesday night tested positive for the disease.
The 86-year-old nun was admitted to a private hospital at Pazhanganad with fever, said Kuzhuppilly panchayat president Rajitha Sajeev. After her death, her test results, done at a private lab, returned positive on Thursday, she added.
Six others who were at the convent in Kuzhuppilly along with her have been quarantined.
Out of the total, 84 persons had acquired the disease through local contact, and 31 had returned from outside the State.
A total of 33 persons tested positive from Chellanam, taking the total number of cases from the cluster to 167. For testing in Chellanam, a special team will be appointed along with a nodal officer, and testing facilities will be made available at the COVID first-line treatment centre being set up in the area, said a press release here.
As many as 770 samples have been tested so far from Chellanam. From the Aluva market cluster, 30 persons tested positive on Friday. Four from Keezhmad have also been infected.
Health workers
Three health workers too tested positive — a 33-year-old doctor at a private hospital, a 41-year-old AYUSH doctor from Varapetty, and a 23-year-old staff member of a private hospital. A 53-year-old sanitation worker who was on the contact list of a sanitation worker at Government Medical College Hospital, Kalamassery, has tested positive.
A 32-year-old policeman from Muvattupuzha, who had been on duty at the Kozhikode airport, has tested positive.
Four persons from Karumalloor, three of whom were on the contact list of a patient, have tested positive. A 47-year-old from Alangad, also on the contact list of a patient, has tested positive.
A 53-year-old from Koonammavu and a 43-year-old from Kumbalangi who had been on the contact list of patients who had worked at a food processing unit in Alappuzha, have tested positive.
A 19-year-old and a 32-year-old from Chittattukara, and a 76-year-old from Kanjoor have tested positive. The source of their infection is uncertain.
A 68-year-old nun of a convent in Angamaly, who had come into contact with a patient, has been infected.
Five persons have recovered from the disease, and 638 patients are receiving treatment.
As many as 421 samples were sent for testing. Testing will be intensified in Chellanam, Aluva, and Keezhmad areas.
Two islanders
The official figures apart, two islanders of Lakshadweep who were in quarantine at the guest house in Kochi, also tested positive. A dweep official said since the archipelago continued to remain a green zone, the islanders will have to recover and test negative before travelling to the island.
New containment zones
Ward 1 of Kuzhuppilly panchayat, Ward 15 of Nedumbassery panchayat, Ward 2 of Choornnikkara panchayat, Ward 1 of Kanjoor panchayat, and Ward 3 of Chittattukara panchayat have been classified as containment zones.
While, Ward 4 of Maradu Municipality, Ward 28 of Thrikkakara Municipality, Wards 67 and 11 of the Kochi Corporation, except the Ernakulam market and Thoppumpady fishing harbour, have been removed from the list.