Number of Covid-19 patients admitted in hospitals in Kerala remained steady at 28,420 on Friday even as 20,452 new cases were detected on a sample base of 1,42,501 at a test positivity rate (TPR) of 14.35 per cent. The day also counted related deaths at 114, taking the cumulative toll to 18,394.

The new cases being reported fell in a familiar pattern with the most from Malappuram (3,010), followed by Kozhikode (2,426); Ernakulam (2,388); Thrissur (2,384); and Palakkad (1,930). Pathanamthitta, which had witnessed a wave of breakthrough infections wave in recent times, came in lower with 719.

634 wards under triple lockdown

The active cases pool has inched to 1,80,000 on Friday. In all, 4,90,836 are under observation in the state of which 4,62,416 are under home or institutional quarantine. There are 634 wards under 87 local self-government jurisdictions with Weekly Infection Population Ratio (WIPR) eight per cent or above.

These wards have been brought under triple lockdown for breaching the new WIPR threshold after it replaced TPR as the benchmark. The 634 wards above the threshold and therefore inviting the strictest form of restrictions has in fact more than doubled from 266 in the space of a week.

Malappuram tops ward list

This coincides with the administration's tightening restrictions to declare micro-containment zones beyond wards to an affected neighbourhood or even a single individual household reporting a case.

As is to be expected from trends, Malappuram district tops with 171 affected wards leaving second-ranked Palakkad (102)and third-ranked Kozhikode (89) by a distance. Idukki situated in the eastern high ranges does not have a single ward while Kottayam, which had zero last week, has 26 now.

Micro-containment zones

An order issued by the Additional Chief Secretary (Disaster Management) says that an area as small as 100 sq metre and reporting a threshold five Covid positive cases a day can be declared a micro-containment zone. Same goes for a joint family of 10 members where a positive case is identified.

Other potential candidates for micro-containment zones categorisation are busy streets, markets, thickly populated urban areas, workplaces, offices, IT companies, warehouses, auction houses, housing colonies, shopping malls, industrial areas, ports, and fish landing centres.

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