Kasargod, now a model district in containing coronavirus

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 19: Of the 168 cases confirmed patients with COVID-19, 113 have been cured and discharged in Kasargod, Kerala. Kasargod has emerged as a model district leading the way for other on the containment of the virus.

The number of cured patients shows that the disease cure rate is at 67.2 per cent as against the national average of 13.6 per cent. Kasargod district now has just 55 active cases. The Kerala Health Ministry said that all are stable and improving. The third confirmed case of COVID-19 was on February 3 and had a travel history to Wuhan, China.

"Active disease surveillance was launched and contact tracing of the patient done to ensure the disease did not lead to clusters across the city. It was a tough task considering 15.38 per cent of the district population had returned from abroad. So the burden of disease from recent travelers was very high. Contact tracing, surveillance and early social distancing campaign by the name "break the chain" helped Kasargod fight Covid-19," the Health Ministry said.

The first wave was due to the infection imported from Wuhan. The second wave from in the form of locals who had returned from West Asia.