Following a rise in the number of COVID-19 positive cases, Collectors in the southern districts conducted meetings with health department officials and a few among them made on-the-spot visits to markets to check for themselves the preparedness and adherence to the Standard Operating Procedures.
Sivaganga Collector P. Madhusudhan Reddy appealed to the residents to wear face masks whenever they stepped out of their dwellings. Presiding over a meeting in the presence of Superintendent of Police M. Rajarajan and other officials here on Friday, he said that the health department would intensify fever camps. Door-to-door checks too would be carried out from Saturday.
Persons above 45-years should get vaccine dosage administered at the Government Hospital and other designated vaccine centres. The Collector said that they would not allow any congregation or permit conduct of festivals in places of worship in public interest. People, who were found without wearing face masks, would be fined and those organising weddings, the number of guests should not exceed 100, he added.
Apart from beds in isolation wards at the GH, around 500 beds have been kept ready in COVID Care Centres in different locations in the district including Karaikudi and Devakottai, the officials said.
Ramanathapuram
In Ramanathapuram, Collector Dinesh Ponraj Oliver and SP E. Karthik visited a few outlets in Ramanathapuram Municipal limits to check if shoppers and salesmen were wearing face masks.
The district administration has opened fever camps in all municipal limits and urged the residents to get tested for any ailments.
As many as 27 monitoring committees have been formed comprising officials from multi departments in the district, who would keep an eye on quarantined patients, on shoppers, on public not wearing masks et al. In the event of any violation of a person in quarantine, he or she would be penalised under the Disaster Management Act and Indian Epidemic Act with a fine of up to ₹500.
The committees shall function at the panchayat, municipal and at the district level. Any person, who has fever, cough or cold shall immediately get to the fever camps, Mr. Dinesh said.
Theni
In Theni, Collector H. Krishnanunni chaired a meeting in which Superintendent of Police Sai Charan Tejaswi, officials from the health and municipal administration attended.
The Collector said that cinema houses in the district should adhere to the new guidelines of permitting 50 % of the seating capacity. Similarly, kalyana mandapam managers/owners should not allow more than 100 guests for any weddings or other functions. Any failure to check body temperature in public places would attract penalty for the shops/establishments, the Collector warned.
With vehicular traffic coming in and going to Kerala, the officials said that scanning would be made mandatory. Similarly, movement of perishable goods such as meat and milk products would be subjected to tests, wherever required.
The Collector was informed by the authorities that the district had sufficient vaccines and appealed to 45-year plus people to get the dosage administered at the GH or in the authorised vaccine centres.
Dindigul
In Dindigul Collector M. Vijayalakshmi has said that the number of COVID-19 positive cases had risen in the district. She appealed to the Corporation authorities to sanitise the containment zones and intensify the tests.
The Corporation limits in Dindigul had more positive cases over the last three days. Apart from the beds in the isolation ward at the Government Hospital, Covid Care Centres too have been opened up in the district and volunteers posted, officials told the meeting.
