THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Reaching an all-time high, 95 people tested positive for Covid in the district on Thursday. Among them, 77 are from Poonthura region while one case each has been reported from nearby Valiyathura, Vallakadavu and Amabalathara regions. A police officer who was posted on bypass near Poonthura also tested positive on Thursday. In Poonthura, testing is being done by six teams at various points at a fast pace.
Similar to cases on Wednesday from Poonthura, the list of patients largely include fish workers, autorickshaw drivers and children. Sparking concerns of hospital transmission, three staff members of KIMS Hospital in Anayara tested positive along with a two-year-old daughter of one of the employees. Two people from Manacaud, where local transmission was reported earlier and two people from Pattom are also among the people who tested positive in the district. Minister Kadakampally Surendran said that plans to move people under reverse quarantine in Poonthura to other facilities will be in place on Friday. The decision to move them from their houses in necessary cases was taken as many families live together in cramped houses in the region.
As many as 679 new people were put under observation in the district on the day as part of Covid containment efforts. A total of 373 people are under hospital isolation. As many as 19,199 people are under home quarantine. On Thursday, 78 people were placed under observation in hospitals while 40 were removed from observation. As many as 669 samples were sent for testing while 707 results received on the day were negative. A total of 25 people who need psychological support called the mental health helpline and 3,144 people were called and offered mental support. 162 calls were made to the collectorate control room. A total of 1,954 people are under institutional quarantine in 72 centres in the district.