Kozhikode district collector A Geetha on Thursday, September 22, issued orders to lift restrictions imposed in a few containment zones due to Nipah outbreak. The restrictions were lifted from  nine grama panchayats of Vadakara block. Containment restrictions were imposed in 58 wards of these panchayats on September 13. However, the general restrictions like maintaining physical distance and use of face masks will continue in the district. Relaxations were also announced in Feroke Municipality and some parts of Kozhikode Corporation. In Kozhikode Corporation seen wards have been free of restrictions. In these wards shops can function till 8pm and financial institutions can open till 2 pm. 

Also coming as a relief, 24 more samples tested negative for Nipah on Thursday. The results of three more cases are awaited. With timely action, the district authorities have managed to effectively contain the spread of the virus. So far, only six positive cases have been identified. 

Since the scare began, 352 samples were sent for testing and with no positive cases in the past five days, authorities have started to breathe easy, even though caution continues at the two places which reported two deaths. On Thursday, 952 people were kept under observation, and the condition of a nine-year-old boy who was positive has stabilized, officials said.

The NIV Pune officials are continuing their studies, and testing the bats from the Nipah-affected places. The officials are yet to identify the cause of the latest outbreak. Kerala witnessed the first Nipah outbreak in 2018.