As many as 532 COVID-19 cases were reported in the district on Friday, even as the district administration and the City police have stepped up disease-containment activities and crowd-control measures in view of Onam. The death toll has risen to 84 with four more recent deaths attributed to the disease.
Disease transmission through contact accounted for 497 cases. In 85 of the cases, the source of infection remained uncertain. The district also continues to report a steady rise in the number of health workers diagnosed with COVID-19. On Friday, 22 more health workers tested positive, according to statistics released by the Health Department.
The four deceased include a 70-year-old woman from Balaramapuram and an 80-year-old man from Karumom who died on August 25; an 85-year-old woman from Venpalavattam who died on August 23 and a 69-year-old man from Balaramapuram who died on August 22.
Thiruvananthapuram reported 544 recoveries on Friday. As on Friday, 5,490 people are under treatment for COVID-19 in the district.
New cases have been reported from across the district. Coastal Pozhiyoor reported 13 new cases, Kazhivur nine, and Kalladimukham, eight. Karode, Parassala, Chempazhanthi, and Poovachal reported seven cases while Nedumangad, Thannivila, and Perukav reported six each.
More cameras
The City police have installed additional surveillance cameras in four busy locations in the city, including Kovalam and Pazhavangadi. Cameras had been installed at Chala and East Fort, City Police Commissioner Balram Kumar Upadhyay said.
The City police have also strengthened inspections in public places and commercial establishments as part of the disease-containment measures, he said. Twenty-nine persons were booked under the Kerala Epidemic Diseases Ordinance, 2020, on Friday for violating COVID-19-related restrictions.
Containment zones
Ayyankali Nagar in Chellamangalam ward of Thiruvananthapuram Corporation has been declared a containment zone, District Collector Navjot Khosa said.
Thottumukku, Pulimoodu, and Kunnathukal in the Tholikkode grama panchayat; Kaivankala in Kunnathukal grama panchayat; Kadambattukonam in Navayikkulam panchayat and Govindamangalam in Malayinkeezhu also have been declared as containment zones.
The district administration has withdrawn the containment zone status of the following panchayat wards: Thekkada and Ayrooppara in Vembayam panchayat; Kalippara, Nanniyode, and Alumkuzhi in Nanniyode panchayat; Mudisasthamcode in Karakulam panchayat, and Kizhakkepuram in Elakamon panchayat.
As many as 1,200 people have been placed under COVID-19 surveillance in Thiruvananthapuram district on Friday. As on Friday, 24,421 people are under surveillance in the district.
