Having learnt bitter lessons in its battle against COVID-19 during the second wave, the official machinery, which anticipates the ‘third wave’, has started intensifying awareness programmes.
Inaugurating one such programme near Palayamkottai Market on Wednesday, Collector V. Vishnu appealed to the public to strictly follow COVID-19 appropriate behaviour to shield themselves from the viral infection. Since the number of new cases were predicted to go up in the days to come due to violations, people should wear masks while going out of their homes, keep physical distancing and avoid visiting crowded places. Those who had even mild symptoms should undergo COVID-19 test as the district administration had put in place arrangements to conduct a minimum of 3,000 tests a day to ensure early intervention.
Apart from checkposts, samples were being lifted in the Tirunelveli Railway Junction from passengers arriving here with COVID-19 symptoms.
On the availability of medical-grade oxygen in the district, the Collector said steps had been taken to install oxygen generator in the Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital since it was getting patients from almost all southern districts while an imported oxygen generator, sponsored by a private firm, was supplying the life-saving gas to 100 beds in Koodankulam Government Hospital.
“The district, which had established COVID Care Centres at nine places during the ‘second wave’, will create more such centres if the situation warranted during the ‘third wave’,” Mr. Vishnu said.
The Collector, who appealed to the public to get vaccinated at the earliest, also distributed ‘kabasura kudineer’, ‘nilavembu kudineer’ and ‘amukkara’ tablets in the presence of Corporation Commissioner B. Vishnu Chandran to the public as an attempt to boost the immunity.
In Thoothukudi, Collector K. Senthil Raj distributed ‘kabasura kudineer’, ‘nilavembu kudineer’ and COVID-19 awareness pamphlets to the public at Old Bus-Stand. He said the public could get the siddha formulations, which were being given to strengthen immunity against the viral infection, in the special camps being organized across the district.
In Kanniyakumari district, Collector M. Aravind, while inaugurating the ‘kabasura kudineer’ distribution at Government Ayurvedi College, appealed to the public to take all preventive measures even though they were vaccinated against the viral infection.
The Collector informed that special medical facilities had been created in the paediatric wards of government hospitals and the Government Medical College Hospital in Aasaaripallam as ‘third wave’ was likely to affect the children. Hence, the parents should give utmost importance in scrupulously following the COVID-19 norms while administering them with ayurvedic formulations after getting proper prescription from the qualified practitioner to boost their immunity.