THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With 13 large Covid clusters across Thiruvananthapuram, the district is one of the worst hit by the pandemic in the state. While the number of fresh cases has gone down in some of them, clusters like Anchuthengu and Parassala continue to report a high number everyday. From misinformation to difficulties in stopping the unauthorised inter-state travel, the reasons for the cluster formation and subsequent spike are aplenty.
The other large clusters are Poonthura, Pulluvila, Puthukurichi, Beemappally, Vizhinjam, Adimalathura, Pozhiyoor, Perumathura, Poovar, Kulathur and Karode. The latest large cluster has formed at Poojapura Central Jail. All 975 prisoners in the prison were tested and 470 were found to be infected including the first patient, a 71-year-old prisoner, who died. Among the 274 staff, 144 were tested and nine of them including a doctor tested positive.
The other major cluster formation is in Parassala. In fact, the entire Kerala-Tamil Nadu border stretching from Vellarada region to Pozhiyoor has reported massive numbers. In Parassala region, Puthuval, Neyyar Dam region, Parasuvaikkal, Udiyankulangara, Amaravila and Chenkal have reported many cases with unknown sources of infection.
“People crossing the borders through small byroads and then mingling with others are a major reason for the Covid spread here. Though the police barricaded many roads on the stretch, there are too many to shut down,” said a health department official in Parassala. Anchuthengu in the coastal region is the other major cluster. Here, in the 2,696 tests done, 698 people tested positive. Of them, 300 are active cases and they are currently lodged at various Covid First-Line Treatment Centres (CFLTCs). The district administration is facing a crucial issue here with public protesting against the declaration of containment zones and demanding its lifting. They have also refused to undergo tests in many places.