Though marginal, the last 10 days have show a dip in the number of COVID-19 positive cases in the city.
From 1,406 cases on May 21, it came down to 1,315 on Sunday, May 30. Corporation sources point out that the number of cases rose from 1,406, then dipped a bit, rose again, and then showed a marginal decline.
From 1,406 cases on May 21, the number increased to 1,878 on May 22, dipped to 1,684 on May 23, further reduced to 1,391 on Monday but shot up to 1,715 on May 25 and went up to 1,962 the next day, before dipping to the level on May 30.
Though the increase appeared to have taken place during the complete lockdown, the cases related to samples taken prior to that. In the coming days, the number would decrease further, the sources said.
As a follow-up to the review meeting the Chief Minister held here on Sunday, the district administration planned to increase the number of beds with oxygen support at COVID-19 Care Centres (CCCs).
Collector S. Nagarajan said the administration and the Corporation would in the next few days increase the number of oxygenated beds from 400 to 1,000. They had also planned to ask NGOs or those planning to support the administration’s efforts in controlling the spread of COVID-19 by establishing the CCCs to install beds with oxygen support.
And, the administration had asked the Coimbatore Medical College to supervise the arrangements and care provided at such CCCs.
As in the city, the local bodies in rural areas had deployed volunteers for door-to-door survey to identify persons with fever symptoms. In the last few days, they had increased the number of such volunteers to a person for every 100 household.
Even as the district administration asked the local bodies to increase the number of volunteers, it had also strengthened the mechanism to follow-up on persons reporting fever or showing COVID-19 symptoms.
The volunteers, on coming across such persons, would immediately contact the local medical team, which would either give them medicines or take swab samples.
As for oxygen supply to the district was concerned, Mr. Nagarajan said every third day, the district got 60 metric tonnes oxygen. After emptying the cylinders, the administration was able to despatch those to the airport to be transported to Rourkela. The turnout time was only six hours, he added.
