The triple lockdown in force in Malappuram district has begun to yield positive results with the district’s COVID-19 test positivity rate (TPR) slumping below the State average on Thursday.
Police, Health and Revenue authorities heaved a sigh of relief as the TPR plummeted to 16.82%. The State’s TPR average is 17.87%.
Particularly gleeful was the police force led by District Police Superintendent Sujit Das S. The police had employed 1,000-odd personnel, including women, on round-the-clock duty to ensure the lockdown in the tightest manner.
On May 13, when Malappuram was widely portrayed as a COVID-19 volcano, the district’s TPR was 43%, the highest in the State. And, it continued to remain on top in coronavirus infection for the next several days even as other districts began to ease restrictions.
“We earned a lot of flak for the stringent measures we took. But everything was for the wellness of the district and its people. Today, with the test positivity rate having dipped to 16.82%, we have every reason to cheer,” said Mr. Sujit Das.
He admitted that there were a few sporadic incidents of police excesses while implementing the triple lockdown. “But they were minimal compared to the overall vigil and restraint the police exercised in the district as part of a concerted containment drive since the imposition of the lockdown,” the officer added.
He said restricting people’s movement was found to be the best way out to contain the virus spread. Although Malappuram registered 4,212 positive cases on Thursday, concerted efforts by the police, Health, Revenue and other departments by involving civic body members paid dividends by bringing down the TPR. As many as 4,505 persons recovered from the disease on Thursday.
However, District Medical Officer K. Sakeena warned that people should remain at home to check the spread of the virus. “Everyone should take extreme care and should not go out of their homes unless for an emergency,” Dr. Sakeena said.
As many as 4,057 of the new cases were found to have contracted the virus through direct interaction with infected persons. More than 65,000 persons continued to be under observation in the district.
