The capital’s COVID-19 daily case graph inched towards a four-figure mark with 892 people testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 on Sunday. Active COVID-19 cases also crossed 7,000 for the first time in the district.
With two more deaths being attributed to COVID-19, the death toll in the district has risen to 167. Those who succumbed to the disease were natives of Koonthalloor (48-year-old) and Balaramapuram (58-year-old).
Among those diagnosed with the disease, 748 contracted the infection through local transmission. The source of infection in 111 cases were unknown. While 27 of the patients were undergoing quarantine in their homes, four others had come from other States. While the patients included 365 females and 527 males, they included 99 people aged below 15 years and 119 aged above 60 years.
While 478 people recovered from the illness on the day, as many as 7,133 patients were undergoing treatment for the disease in Thiruvananthapuram.
With the district administration placing 2,182 more people under quarantine on Sunday, the number of people being monitored for COVID-19 symptoms has gone up to 26,519. While 21,910 were quarantined in their homes, 3,989 people were currently in various hospitals in the district.
More parts of the district were declared as containment zones. These included Vazhottukonam, Poojappura (Pathirappally residents association) and Vellar (coastal parts of Panathura) wards in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation; Paichira ward in Andoorkonam grama panchayat; Ganapathiyam Kovil and Railway Station wards in Azhoor grama panchayat; Mekkolla ward in Kollayil grama panchayat; parts of Alathukavu and Ponganadu wards in Kilimanoor grama panchayat; and parts of Panacodu ward in Tholicode grama panchayat.
Valiya Ela ward in Kizhuvilam grama panchayat, Perumpazhuthoor ward in Neyyattinkara municipality, and Thuruthummoola ward (Aduppukkoottan Para) and Thrikkannapuram ward (MLA road) in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation were excluded from the list of containment zones based on surveillance data evaluation.
Meanwhile, District Collector Navjot Khosa reiterated her appeal for strict compliance of the COVID-19 protocol. In a statement, Ms. Khosa cautioned that the sharp surge in COVID-19 cases could affect the efficiency of health systems. Besides, the situation is also bound to create an additional workload on those involved in COVID-19 containment efforts.
Urging the public to renew its commitment towards the SMS (Sanitiser/soap, mask, physical distancing) campaign and avoid crowded places, the District Collector also advocated home quarantine for children aged below 10 years, adults over 60 years, pregnant women, and others suffering from various ailments. Besides availing themselves of telemedicine facilities to consult doctors for minor ailments, every person must also monitor themselves for COVID-19 symptoms. The public has also been asked to adhere to quarantine protocols if anyone figured in the primary or secondary contact lists of COVID-19 patients.
