COVID cases hit a high of 2,187 in Ernakulam

Thrikkakara tops list with 104 cases; private hospitals told to set aside 20% of beds for COVID patients

The number of new COVID-19 cases in Ernakulam soared to hit an all-time high of 2,187 on Saturday. The active caseload of the district has risen to 11,994. As part of the two-day mass testing drive organised to detect cases and curb the spread of infection, 20,180 samples were collected on Saturday. The district has surpassed its two-day target of 30,900 samples and has tested a total of 36,390 people on Friday and Saturday. The district administration is improving health infrastructure further to deal with the surge in cases. In an online briefing, District Collector S. Suhas said the recently inaugurated superspeciality block at the General Hospital would be taken over for COVID-19 treatment under the Disaster Management Act, and that 100 oxygen beds would be readied at the block in the next few days.