Curbs increased in Kerala as Covid TPR crosses 13%

With the daily test positivity rate crossing 13 per cent on Friday as 17,518 people turning Covid positive from 1,28,489 samples tested in the past 24 hours, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said lockdown norms will have to be strengthened.
"The average TPR in the past three days has been 12.1 per cent and in 11 out of the 14 districts in the state, the TPR is above 10 per cent. Hence those local bodies (408) in A and B category (TPR up to 10 per cent), offices will have to work with 50 per cent capacity and those in C category (355 local bodies with TPR between 10 to 15 per cent), will have 25 per cent staff, and in D category places (271 local bodies with TPR above 15 per cent), only essential services will be operational," he said.

He said all those government staff in these local bodies who are not working will be redeployed for Covid work.

There were 1,35,198 active cases on Friday as 11,067 people turned negative, taking the total cured in the state to 30,83,962.

A total of 132 Covid fresh deaths were reported, taking the death toll to 15,871.

Vijayan said with the third wave predicted, Kerala is on high alert and more emphasis will be given to contact tracing and vaccination.

"So far 1.24 crore people have been given one dose while 0.52 crore have got both the doses. We are sure that if there is adequate proper supply of vaccines by the Centre, then in a matter of three months we will be able to vaccinate 60 per cent of our people," he said.-IANS