THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Only five local bodies in the district have recorded weekly test positivity rate (TPR) of above 20% in the last one week when localized restrictions came into effect.
Two weeks ago, 45 local bodies in the district had recorded TPR of above 20%.
In the last one week, the highest weekly TPR was recorded for Pallichal (24.4%).
Since May, weekly TPR of many local bodies in the district went as high as 50% and mostly it remained at 30% and above.
At present, three local bodies in Chirayinkeezhu taluk have recorded TPR above 20% Azhoor, Mudakkal and Karavaram.
Mudakkal has shown a significant number of cases right through the second wave of Covid-19.
The outbreak was first reported in a colony at Mudakkal panchayat and authorities had a hard time containing the spread.
Chemmaruthy is another panchayat which has shown a high TPR throughout the week.
As many as 1,348 samples were tested at Chemmaruthy between June 15 and June 21 and it yielded 308 positive cases.
Kallikadu and Nanniyode are two panchayats where a rise in TPR has been noted.
Nanniyode panchayat, which recorded a weekly TPR of 6.66% on June 14, saw an increase to 10.11%.
Now, it has slightly come down to 9.9%.
The authorities here came across some unexpected cases in Navodaya ward where not a single case was reported until two months ago.
The health authorities reported asymptomatic cases from random testing; especially the elderly persons who stayed at home; two women and a man.
There was also a case of breakthrough infection in a ward where a person who was earlier tested positive and vaccinated twice again tested positive.
The panchayat had to call off deployment of employees under MGNREGA scheme after the spread was reported in many wards in the panchayat after a lull.
Kurupuzha ward in the panchayat where many cases were reported also threw up more cases, upping the TPR of the panchayat.
The medical authorities said that it was mainly home clusters which led to a slight spike in cases in the panchayat.
Manickal panchayat, which was one of the first local bodies in the district to bring down the TPR to below 10%, is also witnessing a fresh spurt in cases.
As many as 457 samples were tested in the last one week and 62 cases were confirmed at Manickal panchayat.
Till the first week of June, the panchayat had tested over 1,000 samples and still managed to maintain a good TPR.
The health authorities said that there was a need to maintain constant vigil especially when the state is going for an unlock phase.
Earlier, prior to localized restrictions came into effect, the review meeting convened at the collectorate had stressed the need to conduct a minimum of 100 tests daily in the panchayats where high TPR was reported.
A meeting of medical officers of panchayats with TPR above 25% was convened.
It was also decided that medical officers shall coordinate more with the local bodies.
Review meetings on preventive measures shall be held every two days and that 15 teams shall be constituted in the district to ensure the availability of staff.