339 new cases vs 1 recovery, situation in Thiruvananthapuram a worry

A thorough examination will be conducted on how 78 got infected at a hypermarket,” said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. 
An aerial view of the otherwise busy Overbridge Junction on the second day of the triple lockdown in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. The stretch never stays deserted even during hartals. People remained indoors complying with the week-long curbs in all 100
An aerial view of the otherwise busy Overbridge Junction on the second day of the triple lockdown in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. The stretch never stays deserted even during hartals. People remained indoors complying with the week-long curbs in all 100

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala’s Covid-19 cases confirmed so far crossed the 10,000-mark on Thursday, but what worries the health authorities the most at the moment should be the alarming situation in Thiruvananthapuram where 339 contracted the virus on Thursday and just one patient recovered.

While the number of Ramachandran hypermarket employees who tested positive alone rose to 78, Poonthura continued to be another area of concern. “The transmission scenario in Thiruvananthapuram has forced the government to make necessary changes to its prevention and control strategies. A thorough examination will be conducted on how 78 got infected at a hypermarket,” said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. 

Of the 339 cases, 317 were due to direct or indirect contact. They include 16 patients with unknown sources of infection. As many as 34 areas were declared containment zones. “The situation is serious. When 91 employees working at the hypermarket in Attakulangara were tested on Wednesday, 61 turned positive. On Thursday when 81 more got tested, 17 turned positive. Now the customers will have to be traced. It will be better if the customers themselves turn up at the health centres near them for testing,” said the CM. 

Citing Thiruvananthapuram as an example, Pinarayi said the market places, shopping establishments, hospitals and other areas could trigger a large-scale transmission. The situation worsened with the state reporting 722 cases, the highest single-day spike so far. The confirmed cases touched 10, 275 while active cases crossed the 5,000-mark and stood at 5,372. The CM, who said the state is on the verge of community transmission, added the situation has not reached a point to enforce a total lockdown. 

1,200-bed CFLTC opened at CU
Pinarayi said containment measures centred on cluster areas are enough at the moment.Meanwhile, in Ernakulam, directions have been given to the panchayat secretaries and presidents to start Covid First Line Treatment Centres (CFLTC) at all panchayats. In Alappuzha, a 24-hour control room was started near the ITBP camp as more cases were reported among the personnel. A state-of-the-art 1,200-bed CFLTC has become operational at the Calicut University. In Kollam, fish-selling places and markets at 61 places were shut down after clusters were identified in Anchal, Eroor and Chadayamangalam.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com