Local transmission of the novel coronavirus infection is on the rise across Kerala, with the number of contact cases keeps going up.
After Thiruvananthapuram's 182, Kozhikode district reported the most number of cases on Monday - 92. Of them, 45 are contact cases and source of infection has not been traced in four instances.
The cases whose source has not been identified have been reported from Valayam, Perumanna (panchayats), Vadakara and Koyilandi municipalities. Monday's spike took the number of active cases in the district to 435.
Clusters expanding in Ernakulam
Of the 72 cases reported in Ernakulam, only nine are returnees from abroad or other states. Sixty-three people contracted the virus through local transmission. They include 19 in the Chellanam cluster and 10 in Aluva cluster.
Four healthcare workers are also among the positive cases. They are a doctor of a private hospital in Ernakulam, a female staff of Keezhmad primary health centre, a female staff of Kalamassery medical college and a male staff of Ernakulam General Hospital.
Five sailors have also tested positive in the district.
The number of positive cases in the past few days indicate that the virus was spreading in Choornikkara, Alangadu, Karumaloor, Edathala, Kadungalloor and Chengamanadu which are neighbouring panchayats of the Aluva and Keezhmadu clusters, an official statement said.
The 72 positive cases were among the 656 results returned. Results of 1,579 tests are awaited. As many as 394 samples were sent for tests on Monday. So far, 2,629 antigen tests have been conducted in the district.
In neighbouring Alappuzha district, 53 more tested positive. Of them, 26 are contact cases, including three healthcare workers. Source of infection is not known in the case of a native of Thazhakkara.
Fifty more cases were confirmed in Malappuram district. Source of infection is not known in 13 cases. Those tested positive include seven workers of a wholesale fish market in Kondotty. The seven patients had come in contact with a fish trader hailing from Koyilandi who tested positive.
It has been decided to conduct more tests among the workers in the market.
29 more cases in Pattambi cluster
Pattambi in Palakkad has emerged to be a virus cluster with more people in the district testing positive. Of the 49 cases reported in the district, 29 tested positive in the rapid antigen tests conducted in and around Pattambi. Seven natives of Thrissur and three from Malappuram were also tested positive in the antigen tests.
Lockdown has been imposed in Pattambi taluk and Nellaya panchayat for two weeks following the sporadic rise in COVID cases.
Over 100 people have been tested positive in the area in the antigen tests conducted in two days.
Changanassery has turned a virus cluster in Kottayam district where 46 more cases were confirmed. Of the 46 cases, 38 are contact cases. Twenty cases were detected in the antigen tests conducted in the rapid antigen tests conducted in Changanassery market.
So far 24 cases have been reported in connection with the market. Two traders who had attended a meeting called by corporation chairperson last Friday to discuss measures to control crowding in the market also tested positive. Following this, eight people including the chairperson and corporation secretary have gone into quarantine.
Of the 28 cases reported in Kasaragod, 11 are contact cases. Source of infection has not been identified in five cases.
In Thrissur, 42 more cases were confirmed. Of them, 18 contracted the disease through local transmission. They include seven people who contracted the virus from a market in Pattambi in neighbouring Palakkad district. Seven BSF soldiers have also tested positive.
