Six more containment zones were added in Thiruvananthapuram as the city saw a rise in COVID-19 patients whose source of infection remains a mystery.
At least 15 people in the city with no known history of travel have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. This includes a 41-year-old employee of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) from Manacaud tested positive. The patient started developing symptoms on June 15 and took a swab test which returned positive for the virus.
Another retired employee of VSSC in Puthenpalam too tested positive for the virus. VSSC was thoroughly disinfected thereafter and 13 employees of the who reportedly came in contact with the 41-year-old patient are now under observation.
Similarly, an auto-rickshaw driver, his wife and their two children tested positive for the virus, despite having no history of travel.
Apart from this family, the brother of the wife, his spouse and child too contracted the infection. While the former is a stationery shop owner living in Manacaud, his wife runs a beauty parlour in the area, which had visitors until recently.
The new containment zones which have been added are the wards of Attukal, Kuriyathi, Kalippankulam, Thrikkannapuram’s Tagore road, Puthenpalam area in Vallakadavu and Manacaud.
Additionally, surveillance will be carried out in the neighbourhoods of Chala, Nedumcaud, Kalady, Kamaleshwaram and Ambalathara for cases.
According to reports, 15 patients have tested positive for coronavirus whose source of infection remains unknown as yet. Strict travel restrictions will be placed within these containment zones to reduce the spread of the virus. However, there will be no lockdown in the city as of now, confirmed Thiruvananthapuram Mayor K Sreekumar.
“Containment zones will be fully disinfected. As of now, we do not need to impose a lockdown in the city. But the infection spreading through contacts is a serious issue and it is to contain this that we are taking extra measures,” he told the media.