The COVID-19 test positivity rate (TPR) in Ernakulam district dropped to 7.81% on Friday compared to 9.23% recorded a week before.
TPR was 10.3% on June 29. It went down below 9% on June 30 (8.24%) and 8.14% on July 1. On June 28, the rate was 8.10%, according to official estimates.
Meanwhile, the district recorded 1,116 positive cases on Friday. The corresponding figure on Thursday was 1,153.
Dr. S. Sreedevi, Additional District Medical Officer, said the drop in TPR was a welcome relief. “However, care must be taken not to lose vigil, as consistent efforts were made to reach this point. We had ramped up daily tests and monitoring to keep the situation under control,” she added.
Dr. Sreedevi recalled that coastal regions had witnessed a spike in cases earlier, and improved focus on containing the spread helped in reducing the number of positive cases. “We had deployed mobile teams and used the facilities at primary health centres in coastal areas to scale up testing,” she said.
According to an official release, as many as 1,091 persons got infected through contact on Friday. The source of infection in 16 cases has not been ascertained. Four health workers were among those who tested positive. The regions where positive cases were higher than 25 included Chellanam (38), Kumbalanghi (36), Thrikkakara (34), Elankunnapuzha and Kalamassery (33), and Keezhmad (29).
Among the places where the number of positive cases was less than five were Okkal, Karuvelipadi, Chengamanad, Pachalam, Puthrika, Mundamveli, Vadavucode, Vyttila, Maradi, Ayappankavu, Aayavana, Avoli, and Ernakulam North and South. Over 36,000 persons are under observation at home.
