After news of conversion of a portion of a private engineering college into isolation ward spread, villagers from surrounding areas blocked the arterial Madurai-Rameswaram stretch for about 30 minutes on Thursday.
The district administration, as per the guidelines of the State government, had proposed to keep additional beds and isolation wards in ready to use mode. “This is just to show that we are prepared to treat any number of people, in case they tested positive or had symptoms of COVID-19 virus,” a health department official said.
The district had 440 beds in government headquarters hospital and at Anna University Engineering College. “This was just an additional support. We cannot transport persons with virus to another district. Whoever is here or has symptoms of the virus, have to be treated here,” the official claimed.
After sustained persuasion, when the police assured that the college premises would not be converted into isolation ward, the villagers dispersed.
Meanwhile, a police officer said they would examine the modalities to register a case against the persons for unlawful assembly as the curfew was in force.
Last week, when the district administration took some fishermen from other State to a government quarantine in Tirupulani, there was resistance from the local villagers. After the villagers were told that they were being taken with the knowledge of the Collector for screening, they allowed.
Police registered a case against two persons for allegedly instigating the villagers and one of them was arrested.
