Kochi: Sixteen more COVID-19 cases were detected in Ernakulam district on Wednesday. They include nine cases of local transmission and seven imported ones.

Though more than half of the fresh cases are patients who contracted the virus through contact, the district can heave a sigh of relief as there is only one case among them without knowledge of the source of infection.

A 59-year-old Edathala native who runs a shop near Aluva Pump junction has tested positive, though the source of infection is unknown. The remaining 'contact cases' were people who were included in the contact lists of already infected patients.

However, the case of a 64-year-old Kadungallur native is an exception. His son had returned from abroad on June 14. Both the father and the son were tested as they had symptoms. Only the father has tested positive. It has to be noted that he was running a stationery shop and tea stall near Aluva railway station. His shop is situated near a commercial establishment run by a person who tested positive on Tuesday.

The fact that there are seven cases remaining source-less in the district is a matter of concern and raises fears of community transmission.

District collector S Suhas said a special medical team has been assigned to identify the source of infection of the 'source-less' cases.

State minister V S Sunilkumar on Wednesday termed the situation in Ernakulam extremely dangerous even as he categorically stated that community transmission has not happened in the district.

He said the lockdown in Ernakulam market will be lifted only after the spread of virus is contained fully. “Champakkara, Aluva and Varappuzha markets are also being shut,” the minister said.

Dismissing allegations of not conducting enough tests, the minister said number of tests was being increased in the district gradually.

"Nearly 950 RTPCR tests are conducted in the district on a daily basis. This includes tests conducted in private laboratories also. All in all, 2,500 tests of different types are conducted every day,” he said.

So far, 47,953 RTPCR tests have been conducted in the district.

He said kits for antigen tests have been made available in in all government hospitals. The plan is to test all who go to the hospitals with symptoms.

New containment zones

Three divisions of Aluva municipality (9, 20 and 23) were designated as containment zones on Wednesday. All wards in Chellanam panchayat will remain shut. Division 4 of Maradu municipality, Ward 1 of Edathala panchayat and ward 7 of Kadungalloor panchayat are the other new containment zones.