A complete lockdown was observed for the second consecutive Sunday in Kozhikode district while the authorities urged people to avoid attending funerals and wedding events in view of a rapid rise in COVID-19 cases through local transmission of the infection.

District Collector S. Sambasiva Rao in a Facebook post pointed out that the laxity on the part of certain people had led to the spike in cases through local transmission. “Recently, 36 people who attended a wedding event tested positive for the virus. Those who participated in another funeral event too were found to have contracted the infection,” he said. The violation of government restrictions on weddings, funerals and events to felicitate people was leading to the spread of the infection, Mr. Rao claimed.

Meanwhile, a new first-line treatment centre is being set up by the Payyoli municipality at the Sargalaya Training Centre at Iringal. In the initial phase, 70 beds would be set up there and gradually another 30 beds would be added, the authorities said.

The administration is gearing up to face the possibility of 3,000 to 4,000 cases being reported from the district by August-end. Efforts are on to offer treatment for at least 2,000 active cases at a time.

At a review meeting held here recently, officials claimed that there were 11 clusters in Kozhikode, with Thooneri being the largest one. Kolathara and Vellayil have been removed from the list and Chekkiad, Olavanna, and Puthuppady have been added to it. The others are Vanimel, Vadakara, Villiappilly, Meenchanda, Eramala, Nadapuram and Kallayi. Government General Hospital is being converted into a designated treating facility for COVID-19. Other patients there are being shifted to the Government Medical College Hospital and taluk hospitals.

MLAs in the district have offered funds to buy 23 ventilators, of which six have been made available. Right now, 750 oxygen cylinders and 370 cylinders are available. COVID lab tests would be conducted on each one under observation at home or at hospitals and the results would be made available in 12 hours.