SABARIMALA: The health department has decided to set up more Covid-19 testing centres at Erumeli, Pandalam, Chengannur and Tiruvalla, in addition to the current facilities available at Nilakkal and Pampa, as the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple gears up to welcome more pilgrims for the Mandala-Makaravilakku season. The move to simultaneously increase the number of testing centres comes in the wake of more than a dozen government employees including police personnel and devaswom staff testing positive for the virus over the past few days.
The new test centres would comprise authorised laboratories including the DDRC Laboratories and Microlab, in addition to hospitals such as the Tiruvalla Believers Hospital, sources said. The updated online booking platform became functional at noon on Wednesday, and the new batch of pilgrims would arrive for darshan on Thursday.
Fifteen more persons, including the Sabarimala devaswom executive officer and other devaswom employees, three police personnel and 10 Sabarimala Sanitation Society volunteers, tested positive for the disease on the day.
The office of the Punyam Poonkavanam, connected with the cleaning work of the north nada of the temple, was shut down after two policemen were confirmed Covid infected. The office will be reopened after disinfection of the office and new police personnel will be deployed soon after. The volunteers here have been instructed to go on quarantine for two weeks.
More coupons for Sabarimala darshan
T’Puram: Online booking for additional coupons sanctioned for darshan at the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple began at 5 pm on Wednesday, Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran said in a statement. The number of devotees on weekdays was raised from the previous 1,000 to 2,000 recently. On Saturdays and Sundays, 3,000 persons will be allowed as against the previous 2,000. Bookings can be made over www.sabarimalaonline.org.
TPR at 11.08%
T’Puram: The daily test positivity rate (TPR) in the state has once again crossed the 11%-mark. On Wednesday, the TPR reached 11.08%, the second-highest in the week. The day also reported 6,316 fresh cases and 5,924 recoveries. Of the new cases, 5,539 were contact cases.
