The capital district witnessed its ninth COVID-19 death after a 72-year-old woman from Pulluvila, who died on July 15, tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. She is known to have been admitted with various co-morbidities.
As many as 151 people, including the deceased woman, tested positive for the virus in the district on Tues day. Local transmission accounted for 144 cases, among which the source of infection is unknown in seven. Three health workers are also among those who were diagnosed with the disease. Eleven people, including an Alappuzha native, recovered from the illness, taking the number of active cases in the district to 2,201.
Two employees of Pothys, which was shut by the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation a day ago, have been diagnosed with the disease.
Crime Branch official
One more police officer attached to the Directorate of Crime Branch tested positive for the infection. The patient, a civil police officer, has been involved in COVID-19 control duty at the Thiruvananthapuram international airport. He is known to have regularly returned home in Aryanad, which has been a containment zone of late.
The officer was directed to remain home after he developed symptoms on July 14. His swab samples were collected at the Nedumangad taluk hospital on the same day. All the other officers who were deputed for airport duty, tested negative for the infection, official sources said.
The directorate has remained closed since July 17 when a woman civil police officer, who had been deputed for COVID-19 duty in the Fort police station limits, was diagnosed with the disease.
With the emergence of the new case, the Kerala police have decided to extend the closure for another two days.
The Kattakada depot of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) is the latest of many to be closed in the district after a driver was diagnosed with the disease.
The Kattakada native used to report for duty on all days until July 19.
The pandemic had earlier led to the suspension of services at various depots in the district.