COVID-19 cases continue to spike in the district. For the second time in three days, daily surge crossed the 500-mark with a record 551 people testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 on Friday.
The district reported four COVID-related deaths, taking the official death toll to 30.
Among the new cases, 513 patients contracted the virus through local transmission. Twenty persons who came from other States, 12 from abroad, three health workers, and one person each from Kumarapuram, Cheruthana, and Vallikunnam were also diagnosed with the disease. Sources of infection of Kumarapuram, Cheruthana, and Vallikunnam natives remain unidentified.
Of the 513 locally transmitted cases, 75 were reported from Alappuzha municipality. Ambalappuzha (46), Punnapra North (43), Aroor (29), Palamel (26), Chettikkad (25), Kayamkulam (25), Punnapra South (20), Aryad (19), Veliyanad (16), and Haripad (15) also logged a high number of contact cases.
District Collector A. Alexander said that measures would be taken to tackle the spread of the disease in Alappuzha municipality. Apart from creating awareness, mobile testing units will be allocated.
Meanwhile, 218 people who were undergoing treatment for the disease in hospitals in the district tested negative. Active COVID-19 cases in the district now stand at 3,793.