The Coimbatore Corporation on Monday ordered the closure of jewellery showrooms in and around Raja Street and Big Bazaar Street and gold smithies in Kembatty Colony after 35 persons working in gold smithies tested positive for COVID-19.
A release said the Corporation asked owners of jewellery showrooms and gold smithies on Sullivan Street, Uppara Street, Thomas Street, Edayar Street, Telugu Street, Senthiruamman Street, Marakara Nanjappa Gounder Street, Sundaram Street, Kurumbar Lane, Karuppa Gounder Street, Big Bazaar Street, Raja Street and in Sukhrawarpet and Gandhipark to keep their establishments shut until further orders.
Sources in the civic body said 35 of the 130-odd persons from whom it lifted swab samples on July 4 (Saturday) had tested positive. All the 35 worked in gold smithies in and around Kembatty Colony.
The sources said the Corporation’s investigation revealed that two of the 35 persons who had tested positive shared a residential compound in Ayyappa Nagar with a person from the Anna Retail Vegetable Market who had tested positive.
When the Corporation traced the primary and secondary contacts of the person from the market, it led them to the Ayyappa Nagar compound, from where the Corporation lifted the samples.
After the results came on Monday, the Corporation barricaded streets in and around Kembatty Colony to restrict entry into and exit from the affected area.
Appeal
The Corporation had also appealed to people employed in gold smithies in the vicinity to come forward for testing if they had symptoms such as fever, throat infection or phlegm or report to the nearest urban primary health centre.
Collector K. Rajamani visited the affected area to check on the containment measures put in place.
Association directive
Coimbatore District Jewellery Manufacturers’ Association has asked all the jewellery manufacturing facilities in the Corporation limits to remain closed from Tuesday.
“A number of cases were reported from two jewellery factories on Monday. There are challenges, such as maintaining physical distance, at the units. Hence, on instructions of the District Collector, all jewellery making units here will remain closed till further orders. There are about 25,000 units. The jewellery retail outlets will remain open," said B. Muthuvenkatraman, president of the association.
