COVID testing intensified at check posts bordering Kerala

Travelers inbound from Kerala and foreigners were being screened by health care professionals at Kaliyakavilai check post. Moreover, travel e-pass was made mandatory for inbound travelers from Kerala.

The passers-by undergo thermal screening and swab tests would be taken if necessary. Teams comprising officials from Departments of Health, Revenue and Police have been engaged in monitoring COVID-19 to prevent its spread.

Since many people often access Thiruvananthapuram airport from Kanniyakumari, measures have been intensified to check infection among inbound and outbound air passengers.

About 500 swabs are collected at Kaliyakavilai check post on a daily average. As of now, 48 active cases have been reported in the district and one containment zone identified, sources said.

Tenkasi, the other district bordering Kerala, is also under tight vigil. According to Tenkasi Collector GS Sameeran, three more COVID care centres would be readied soon apart from the existing two in the district.

As per guidelines issued by the government, adequate measures have been taken up at Puliyarai check post. After verifying travel e-pass, RT PCR tests were done on the inbound travelers from the neighboring state and the database is also collected for those with symptoms.

About 20 to 25 cases were being reported for over the last 15 days on a daily average. Further, the Collector told DT Next that five containment zones at Tenkasi, Alangulam, Kadayanallur and Mela Nelatha Nallur have been identified and required assistance is being done to people of these localities. Currently, around 700 RT PCR tests are being done every day and it would go up to 1,200 in the coming days.

As for vaccination, he said around 38,500 persons have been covered so far. The district has a total active cases of 338 and among them 227 are in home isolation, Sameeran added.