Seeking to allay concerns over the spike in COVID-19 cases in the district, District Collector Navjot Khosa on Thursday attributed it to intensive testing among other factors.
In a message circulated through social media, Ms. Khosa said 2,000 samples were being subjected to rapid antigen test in the district daily.
Reworked strategy
While the number of antigen tests remained at just nearly 15,000 until July 5, testing picked up as the administration reworked its containment strategy. Employing antigen tests for wider use enabled the government to ensure greater focus in areas that reported an increasing trend of cases without any known sources of infection, she said.
Ms. Khosa said Thiruvananthapuram being a “capital, airport, border and coastal” district, witnessed high public movement and intermixing of population from various parts of the State and elsewhere.
The Collector also issued a set of guidelines for infection control in hospitals on account of the rising number of cases being reported among hospital employees and health workers in the district.
Guidelines to hospitals
All hospitals, particularly those catering to tertiary-level care, should promote outpatient services through online consultation and telemedicine facility. While only one caregiver must be permitted per patient, the same person must continue for the entire period of admission. No visitors will be permitted in any hospital.
Emergency cases and critical life-threatening situations must be given priority among non-COVID-19 services in government hospitals.
Separate outpatient and casualty must be established for those from containment zones, other districts, and States. The order added that no hospital, including private ones, can deny services or treatment to any individual coming from containment zones (including critical containment zones).
