A total of 74 people from the district, including a health worker, tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 on Sunday. While 59 patients contracted the virus through contact, 10 are from abroad and four others had travelled from Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh. The district currently has 8,991 people under observation and the total number of samples collected is 25,527.
While 691 people completed home quarantine on Sunday, the Health Department has traced 5,880 primary and 1,705 secondary contacts of the fresh cases.
The recovery rate of the patients also went up on Sunday with 70 people testing negative. While Anchal reported over 20 cases of local transmission, 960 people entered home quarantine on Sunday. The health worker who tested positive is a 31-year-old Chriyazheekkal resident who has been working in the Chest Diseases Hospital in Pulayanarkotta, Thiruvananthapuram. Legal metrology offices in Kollam and Pathanapuran have been closed after a staff tested positive and they will remain shut till Wednesday to complete disinfecting procedures.
With more than 50 LSGs declared as containment zones, the district administration has issued new guidelines to officials concerned for strengthening containment activities.
Vulnerable areas
In all vulnerable areas groups of 10 to 15 houses will be formed and ward-level committees will ensure that all directions of the authorities are followed. Contact between the groups will be avoided and those coming in the same group will maintain physical distancing.
At present Kollam has all wards of 32 LSGs in critical containment zone category while 15 wards in Punalur municipality and 6 wards in Kollam Corporation have been declared containment zones.
In containment zones only half the shops will be allowed to function on a day and the license of the business outlets that violate the COVID-19 protocol will be cancelled, said the District Collector.
Shops have been instructed to utilise the mobile app developed by district administration for hassle-free home delivery of essentials. Microfinance institutions will not be allowed to collect money and door-to-door sales is also banned.
While marine fishing is banned the district, inland fishing and sales through licensed fish stalls will be allowed. Seafood exporting plants and processing units in the district can bring consignments from other places with required documents and Matysfed is allowed to sell fish from other places.
Vehicle movement
There will be restriction on private vehicle movement as odd and even number vehicles will be allowed to ply in the district only on alternate days. All the new restrictions will come into effect from 6 a.m. on Monday.
