Kottayam: The district will remain in red zone despite 12 of the 17 COVID-19 patients getting cured on Monday.
The district can get back into orange zone only if no COVID-19 cases are reported for 21 consecutive days. For the district to get back to green zone, it has to have no confirmed in another 21 days continuously.
The last COVID -19 case was confirmed in the district on April 27. Six cases, including a Muttambalam native, who was head-load worker at the Kottayam market, were reported that day.
A woman hailing from Kuzhimattom, a Tamil Nadu native from Changanassery, a truck driver from Manarcad, a bank employee from Melukavumattom and a Health worker from Vadavathoor were the other cases.
So Kottayam should report no cases in the next 13 days. Even if the number of people with the virus in the district is less than 15, it can be declared an Orange zone if no cases were reported for 21 days continuously, said District Collector P K Sudheer Babu.
Hot spots
There will be no change in the areas declared hot spots in the district.
These areas will be declassified only if test results of all primary and secondary contacts of confirmed COVID-19 patients turn negative and all of them complete the 14 day quarantine period.
However, if more people in the primary contact of COVID-19 patients test positive, quarantine period will be extended to 28 days.
Containment zone
The district administration is empowered to take a decision on relaxations in the containment zones.
The containment zone is a geographical area within three kilometres of the place where coronavirus positive cases were reportd.
The decision to impose total shut down of the containment zone was taken to curb the community spread of the virus.
The district administration can offer relaxations in this zone if there are no chances for community spread.
Sample collection unit
The State’s first mobile sample collection unit will be launched in Kottayam on Tuesday.
The facility is a mobile version of the sample collection kiosks launched recently at general hospitals in the district situated at Kottayam, Pala, Chenganasserry and Kanjirapally. Using the facility, the Health Department will collect samples of vulnerable people, including the elderly, pregnant women and police personnel, to assess the possibility of community transmission.
The unit will have the services of a doctor, a helper and a driver. The helper will come out of the vehicle wearing a Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to collect the samples for testing.
