Following an increase in COVID-19 positive cases in the city in the recent past, the Coimbatore Corporation has revised its containment strategy by going in for aggressive lifting of swab samples.
Corporation Commissioner Sravan Kumar Jatavath told The Hindu the Corporation alone would lift around 3,000 samples a day.
“Thus far, the total samples lifted in the city was 3,000 a day. This included people voluntarily giving samples and private hospitals collecting samples. In this the Corporation share was around 1,000 samples a day. Now, the Corporation alone will collect 3,000 samples a day.”
Mr. Jatavath said the Corporation felt the need to go in for aggressive testing because it wanted to contain the spread of the fever.
While continuing with nearly 100 fever clinics a day, the Corporation would lift samples outside the clinics as well by collecting those from persons with whom the positive persons would have come in contact in the week prior to they testing positive.
“The Corporation is looking at collecting samples from grocery store owners, fair price shop employees, hair dressers, eateries, milk vendors, newspaper vendors, neighbourhood bank branch and all categories of people whom the positive person could have come in contact.”
The Corporation had 30,000 kits to lift samples and would continue to get more in the coming days to meet its new aggressive testing strategy.
Until now the Corporation lifted samples from the family members of positive persons, their colleagues and neighbours. Now it wanted to widen the net, he added.
The Corporation was also looking for more doctors, nurses and paramedical persons and has sought the help of volunteers.
