THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Six local bodies with test positivity rate (TPR) above 30% and were included in Category D did 9,186 tests in seven days to bring down the TPR to below 15%.
Panavoor, which recorded a weekly TPR of 33% last week, recorded the sharpest dip in TPR — 2.93%.
Karode and Pothencode panchayats also brought down the TPR to below 10% while Manamboor, Athiyannur and Kadinamkulam dragged down the TPR to below 15%.
The localized restrictions based on weekly TPR were modified on Wednesday.
The city corporation is in Category B whereas Varkala municipality is put under Category C.
Mudakkal and Pallichal panchayats were included under Category D.
Weekend restrictions will be applicable on all days in panchayats under Category D.
Indoor shooting of serials will be allowed in areas under Category A and B.
Religious institutions can be opened in areas under A and B and maximum 15 people shall be allowed at a time.
Eleven divisions in Thiruvananthapuram corporation were declared as critical containment zones on Wednesday.
Poonkulam, Valiyathura, Venganoor, Poundukadavu, Ponnumangalam, Anamukham, Mudavanmugal, Chanthavila, Mulloor, Thrikkannapuram and Beemapally East divisions were brought under critical containment zones.
Stringent lockdown restrictions will be imposed in these areas.
The complete lockdown declared on Saturday and Sunday will be applicable on all days in these areas.
According to officials, in addition to increase in number of testing, it is also important to know the details of people being tested.
“With low TPR being mandated as condition for relaxations, local bodies are competing to increase testing.
Although this could result in picking up of asymptomatic and random cases, the actual target group may be missing from screening,” an official said.
The district reported 1,501 Covid positive cases on Wednesday when 1,623 persons recovered from the infection.
Of the fresh positive cases, 1,423 got the virus through local contact.
Four heath workers are among the new cases.
As many as 11,649 persons are under treatment for Covid-19 in the district.
A total of 2,909 persons were brought under observation in the district on Wednesday.
The total number of persons under disease surveillance in the district is 43,345.