In wake of rising COVID cases, Ernakulam Collector S Suhas has tightened restrictions in the district on Sunday slashing the number of people permitted at social gatherings even further.
Now, with this new rule that comes into effect on Monday, only 30 people are permitted at weddings and 20 for funerals.
The timing of shops and commercial establishments have also been revised. They can now operate from 7 am to 5 pm.
Hotels and restaurants may operate slightly longer – until 9 pm, but no dining facilities are permitted. Instead, they are encouraged to offer takeaways and home deliveries.
Theatres, clubs and gyms will remain closed for a week.
Filming in the district too has been suspended.
However, there is no restriction for movement on weekdays.
Ernakulam reported 4,468 new COVID cases on Sunday, 15.6 per cent of the day's total tally. It is one of the worst-hit regions in India.
These new measures follow a slew of efforts taken by the district administration to curb the spread of COVID.
Ernakulam ramps up facilities on war footing
A meeting of the Ernakulam District Disaster Management Committee has decided to set up additional hospital beds with oxygen supply, even as the district logged a COVID-19 doubling time of six days on Saturday.
The meeting, attended by Minister V S Sunil Kumar, decided to set up 1,500 beds with oxygen facility over the next week, which will be ramped up by 2,000 beds the week after. All taluks in the district will have COVID-19 treatment facilities, including beds with oxygen supply.
According to the latest statistics, one in 21 people in the district has contracted SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and they comprise five per cent of the total population. Currently, 1,300 people out of 10 lakh are testing positive for the virus daily.
Ernakulam has the most number of COVID-19 patients undergoing treatment in the State, 32,167. It is one of the districts reporting the highest numbers of positive cases in the country, while considering the population ratio. It is higher than Delhi and Mumbai, said health expert Dr Padmanabha Shenoy.
The Health Department, meanwhile, explained the unprecedented surge in test positivity rate, saying it was subsequent to tests focused on the population more prone to COVID-19. The aim is to check the spread by finding the maximum number of positive cases.
1,146 vacant hospital beds
The authorities said the district has 1,146 vacant hospital beds. The district administration has decided to convert the Medical College Hospital, at Kalamassery, wholly into a COVID care centre. Beds with oxygen supply will also be increased.
Meanwhile, the district will have to more than double beds with intensive care facilities in light of the increase in patients needing critical care. Currently, the ICU beds in government and private hospitals are being fully utilized.
Former president of the Indian Medical Association’s Kochi chapter Dr M I Junaid Rehman, said the COVID care centre at the Aluva District Hospital and the super-speciality block at the General Hospital should be made fully functional to meet the current demand.
The 70 ICUs in government hospitals are occupied now, and 160 patients are under intensive care in private hospitals. As many as 55 patients are on ventilator support, and 280 others are in need of oxygen supply.
Cases to increase by mid-May
The number of patients needing hospitalization during the second wave of COVID-19 is likely to increase by mid-May, experts felt. Doctors are anticipating severe infection during the second wave than the first one.
Authorities are planning to ramp up the ICU beds in Aluva District Hospital to 100 from the currently functional 38. All 38 beds here are occupied. The super-speciality block in General Hospital can accommodate 128 beds, including 48 ICUs and another 36 beds with oxygen supply. An additional 36 beds too could be provided oxygen facility, if required.
The block, however, does not have water and oxygen supplies now.
The district authorities will hold talks with the representatives of private hospital managements on Sunday. The meeting will ask private hospitals to set aside 20 per cent of their beds for COVID patients.
The Disaster Management Committee meeting has decided to utilize the services of cooperative and ESI hospitals in case of an emergency. The district will arrange facilities to treat 40,000 patients simultaneously. Currently, 36,167 patients are undergoing treatment. The support of FACT, Petronet LNG, and BPCL will be sought to ensure oxygen supply.
Moves are afoot to add more beds in hospitals. The plan is to bolster the facilities at PCS (120 beds), Aluva District Hospital (100), Fort Kochi Taluk Hospital (70), Palluruthy (50), Trippunithura (70), Muvattupuzha (40), super-speciality ward, General Hospital (100), Medical College, Kalamassery (300), and CIAL (150).
The Dhanwanthari Society in General Hospital will provide medicines. The afternoon out-patient facility at government hospitals will be stopped.
Shortage of nurses
The meeting also decided to appoint more nurses on a temporary basis. After the first wave, several foreign countries recruited nurses from Kerala. Most of them had been working in hospitals here.
Nurses appointed earlier on a temporary basis were let off. Walk-in interviews for the temporary appointment of nurses have already begun in COVID care centres.
