Awareness campaigns conducted through various media platforms to check the spread of COVID-19 in the district appear to have fallen on deaf ears as protective measures are increasingly being given the brush-off, officials rue.
While the health department and local bodies diligently spray disinfectants in public places and buildings, people coming out of their homes are ignoring norms such as physical distancing and wearing face masks, a civic official said.
Of growing concern, therefore, is the steady rise in the number of people testing positive in Pearl City, especially in the last seven to 10 days. Not only are more and more residents stepping out of their dwellings, but they are also moving about in groups. Be it private/government vehicles or public places, such incidences have become high.
For instance, on Sunday, the fish market witnessed a huge crowd and there was no physical distancing.
According to Corporation officials, almost every colony in the city has residents testing positive or displaying symptoms. Inspection in KVK Nagar, Rajapandi Nagar, Millerpuram, Perumalpuram in the city, and Kovilpatti, Vilathikulam, Seithunganallur, Vallanadu, Srivaigundam, Tiruchendur, Thenthiruperai, Athur, Kayalpattinam in towns and peripheries of the district, shows that the virus is fast catching up.
As on June 13, the State medical bulletin says, Thoothukudi district has 427 positive patients of whom 271 have been discharged and 131 are under treatment.
The number of patients getting admitted is on the rise. On a single day, for example, 30 persons have tested positive and 28 are indigenous cases. Only the remaining two have travel history. In other words, they are ‘imported’ cases. “This is not a good sign,” the official said.
The bottomline: every individual has the responsibility to protect himself and there is no point in blaming the administration.
During the total lockdown from April until mid-May, the numbers well under control, and Pearl City appeared to be safe from spread of infection. However, relaxation in curfew and people ‘forgetting’ to wear face masks and maintaining physical distancing have come as a major threat and challenge to the medical fraternity, the official added.
