Kochi has its own beauty that can make anyone spell-bound. The aroma-filled lanes of Mattancherry that call out the rich history of Kerala’s spice route and the sizzling streets of Fort Kochi, where one could spot tourists throughout its length at any time, continue to remain deserted as COVID-19 grips its claws in the region. In the last 16 days alone, West Kochi, which includes both Fort Kochi and Mattancherry, of Ernakulam district, has reported a total of 338 COVID-19 cases.

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For close to the past one month, the Ernakulam district administration has been putting efforts to contain the spread of the pandemic in the region. West Kochi, a large island with the Arabian Sea and Vembanad lake on either side, comprises areas like Fort Kochi, Mattancherry, Thoppumpady, Palluruthy, Edakochi Kumabalghi and Chellanam. However, the local transmission of COVID-19 in Fort Kochi and Mattancherry continues to remain ‘serious’, according to officials. 

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Talking to a leading media daily, officials working close on COVID-19 containment in the region, say that the demography of the region is the main factor that led to the spike in local transmission. “This is a thickly populated region with houses located very close to each other, especially in Mattancherry. The wards where the COVID-19 containment is at its peak has many houses consisting of large families with many members. So if one person gets infected, the number of their primary contacts is very large, compared to other places,” says a revenue official.

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