Ernakulam district reported an increase of 1,500 positive cases on Wednesday compared to the figures on Tuesday.
As many as 6,558 persons tested positive on Wednesday. The corresponding figure on Tuesday was 5,030. Of the 6,558 cases, 6,466 got infected through local transmission. The source of infection could not be traced in 66 cases.
Fourteen of the infected were health workers. Thrikkakara had the highest number of cases at 251. The regions where the number of positive cases was above 100 include Pallipuram (204), Thripunithura (164), Kumbalanghi (132), Koovapadi (126), Kizhakkambalam (122), Elankunnapuzha (112), Kadungalloor (111), Perumbavoor (106), and Kunnathunad (102).
All beds allocated for COVID treatment in government and private hospitals in Ernakulam, including ICU facilities, were full as on Wednesday afternoon, according to the Health Department.
“It is full, and there are no slots available,” said personnel attached to the control room opened by the district administration. “We are shifting emergency patients as and when there is a vacancy following discharge or death of a patient,” they added. Those who need urgent medical attention are now being shifted to stabilisation centres, according to the health authorities.
Both government and private hospitals are running short of ICU beds and ventilators following the spike in positive cases in the district. Nearly 160 ICU beds have been set aside at private hospitals for COVID-19 patients. There are around 250 beds with oxygen supply at private hospitals.
As many as 2,160 beds at government and private hospitals, out of the total 8,963 beds, have been earmarked for COVID-19 treatment. There are 4,368 oxygen beds in addition to normal beds. Of them, 1,381 are used for treatment of infected persons. Four-hundred-and-sixty eight ICU beds of the total 1,570 have been allocated for COVID-19 treatment. According to an official release, 265 ventilator beds are available in the district as on Wednesday.
