Marking a drastic fall in the daily tally of COVID-19 cases, the capital district reported 40 cases, including two health workers, on Sunday.
Notably, no fresh cases emerged from the critical containment zones including Poonthura, Manikyavilakam and Puthenpally wards.
The single-day caseload has seen a gradual fall from 129 and 69 during the last two days. However, findings could not be construed as befitting a withdrawal of the triple lockdown restrictions in the region. The slump in the number of people testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 could be attributed to the lesser number of samples that were collected from the area over the last two days.
Official sources pointed out that sample collection did not take place in at least one of the four centres here after five health workers, who bore the brunt of protests from the local community, went into quarantine.
However, six cases were reported from Vallakadavu and Beemapally which were among the buffer wards to the critical containment zones.
Among 31 people who contracted the infection through contact transmission, the authorities were yet to identify the sources of infection in 12 cases.
These included cases detected in Fort, Vazhayila near Peroorkada, Kaliyakavikla, Mannam Nagar near Pachalloor, Parassala, Kumarapuram, Varkala, Pulluvila and Karipur near Nedumangad, suggesting a COVID-19 spread to various parts of the district.
Raising another dimension of concern, coastal areas other than those that were currently under stringent curbs have also begun to report fresh cases. Besides new cases that appeared to enlarge the existing cluster in Vizhinjam, Venganoor and Kottapuram, other places including Varkala and Pulluvila also witnessed new cases.
While three people including a Pathanamthitta native have recovered from the illness, the number of people being treated for the infection in the district stood at 548.
Takes stock
Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran and District Collector Navjot Khosa visited the containment zones and took stock of the facilities that were in place.
Meanwhile, the Congress has accused the government and Thiruvananthapuram Corporation of ignoring the needs of people who reside in containment zones.
In a statement, District Congress Committee president Neyyattinkara Sanal said that the residents of Manacaud, Attukal, Kuriathy, Ambalathara, Kamaleswaram and Kalippankulam wards that have been containment zones for over 20 days have faced a shortage of essential supplies.