Total Covid cases cross 700 in dist

Thiruvananthapuram: The district recorded more than 700 Covid cases till date as 69 new positive cases were reported in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday. Local transmission continues ceaselessly in the district with 58 cases being contact cases and only 11 being imported ones.
The coastal wards in the district have begun to show signs of wide spread with positive cases being reported from wards such as Beemapally, Kottapuram, Perumathura and Valiyathura along with growing cluster of cases from Poonthura and Manikkyavilakom.
Sourceless cases also branched out to the suburbs with positive cases being reported from Attingal and Venjaramoodu. Another medical representative was also tested positive at Pattom. A medical representative who has been tested positive at Poonthura is under treatment.
Two others residing at Pattom as paying guests were tested positive on Friday. They were employed at a private institution at PMG. They had completed quarantine and been given quarantine completion certificate by the authorities. Four other persons who reside in the ground floor of the building have been quarantined.
The local transmission percentage in the district has risen to 63%. Isolated sourceless cases have also been reported from Palayam, Kalippankulam and Fort as well. In rural areas, persons with no travel history or contact with Covid-19 positive cases were tested positive at Poovachal, Parassala and Pachalloor on Friday.
Clusters of cases also tend to develop around Paruthikuzhy from where around five cases have already been reported. The long contact list in cluster of cases has made it difficult for the disease-investigation team to dig into the origin of cases with no known travel history. Cases that were confirmed at Pettah, Chackai, Vanchiyur, Palayam, Kalippankulam, Fort are posing new challenges for the contact-tracing team.
Small clusters are repeatedly being reported from Manacaud and Paruthikuzhy and there aren’t much data available to ascertain where the cases within these clusters are linked or have originated simultaneously in different places within the same cluster. There are also worrying signs from rural areas like Uzhamalakkal, Poovachal and Aryanadu where positive cases have been reported.
Swab collection of contacts of the policeman from Uzhamalakkal panchayat who was tested positive will be held on Sunday. Three wards in the panchayat — Pulimoodu, Chittuveedu and Mumbala — have been partially closed. Swab collection will also be held at Poovachaal where a youth has been tested positive for Covid-19.
District panchayat president V K Madhu convened a meeting and assessed the situation on Saturday. He said cases being reported from rural areas shall be viewed with utmost seriousness.
As many as 573 persons were brought under disease surveillance in the district on Saturday. A total of 817 persons completed observation period without showing symptoms. As many as 18,648 persons and 1,810 are under room isolation in houses and Covid-care centres, respectively. A total of 87 persons were admitted to hospitals with disease symptoms and 60 persons were discharged on Saturday. As many as 472 persons are under observation in different hospitals in the district. A total of 663 samples were sent for testing and 392 results have been received.