30 test Covid positive in care home, 875 fresh cases in Capital district

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Yet another care home — Snehatheeram in Kallara — on Thursday became a micro cluster after 30 people tested positive for Covid. Of these, 27 are inmates while three are staffers and   the results were thrown up by the 109 tests conducted there.Virus spread in care homes has been a major concern in the district after similar incidents happened at Pulluvila and Vembayam where people with comorbidities were infected. The positive patients are now under treatment at the centre. 

On the day, 875 fresh cases -- 700 of them through local transmission, with the source of infection remaining unknown  in 142 cases --  along with 11 deaths were reported. Twenty-eight health workers also figured among the confirmed cases on Thursday, the highest in the state in the last 24 hours. The deceased are Albi,20, from Naruvamoodu, Thankappan,70, from Mannorkonam, Sasi,60, from Poonthura, Vasudevan,75, from Attingal, M S Abdeeb,72, from Manacaud, Omana,62, from Vembayam, Sasi,74, from Anayara, Susheela,60, from Koduvazhannoor, Sreekumaran Nair,65, from Manjavilakam, Robert,72, from Vallakadavu and Rahiya Beevi,56, from Vallakadavu. 

The district now has 8,466 active cases which include 20 children and 26 pregnant patients. On Thursday, 3027 people were newly put under observation in the district, with 296 recoveries  also reported. Fifty-one people who needed psychological support called up the mental health helpline while 3784 people in quarantine were called and offered mental support. The collectorate control room received 173 calls. Pattakulam in Pulimath panchayat, Kattumpuram and Vellorkonam in Kizhuvillam panchayat, Office ward in Kottukal panchayat and Poonkulam ward in Thiruvananthapuram corporation have been declared new containment zones in the district.