The district administration started pasting ‘COVID – 19 warning announcement’ in front of homes on Tuesday after identifying foreign returnees and those who have returned from other States since March 1.
When a person from Samooharengapuram was tested positive for COVID-19 on his return from Dubai, Collector Shilpa Prabhakar Satish appealed to the public to inform them about foreign returnees so as to screen them for the dreaded virus infection in a bid to check ‘community transmission.’
With the ‘community transmission’ posing a serious threat to take the number of COVID-19 positive cases to alarming number, the district administration, in a bid to caution the public to keep themselves away from these returnees, has started pasting the ‘COVID-19 warning announcement’ in front of their houses.
Though Ms. Shilpa had appealed to the returnees from foreign countries and other States to their native places here to inform their presence here to the Medical Officer of the nearest Primary Health Centre or the Block Development Officer for instant medical screening, only a handful have volunteered to do so.
So, the district administration has appealed to the public to alert Village Administrative Officers, Revenue Inspectors, Medical Officers of PHCs, BDOs or the nearest police station about foreign returnees or those who had returned from other States to their native places so that they can be screened for possible infection at the earliest to prevent community transmission.
After identifying and screening them, they are ‘house quarantined’ to avert community transmission. To intensify it further in the absence of cooperation from returnees, neighbours and villagers of returnees are being encouraged to inform officials for appropriate action.
“So far, 584 foreign returnees and those who have returned to Tirunelveli district from other States have been ‘house quarantined.’ This exercise is being closely monitored by the District Revenue Officer, Sub-Collectors of Tirunelveli and Cheranmahadevi and Project Director, District Rural Development Agency,” Ms. Shilpa told reporters here on Tuesday.
She urged the public to stay safe in their houses during the next fortnight following all precautionary measures.
Meanwhile, the hotel at Vannarpet, in which the COVID-19 positive patient stayed for a few days on his return from Dubai on March 17, was sealed on Tuesday for disinfecting it completely. Following instructions from officials, the hotel staff, who served him during his stay in the hotel, have been isolated and asked to remain in a room under observation.
“Blood and swab samples taken from 7 hotel staff have been sent to Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital for analysis. Based on the outcome of the result, we’ll decide on the nature of medical assistance to be extended to them,” said the officials.
Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project’s ongoing construction of 3rd and 4th reactors has been slowed down by going ahead with only essential construction activities by involving around 500 workers.
“Non-essential construction activities have been stopped while the essential activities are going on with 500 workers. All the workers being involved in the construction activities of KKNPP have been asked to remain inside the campus and they will not be allowed to go out at least for next 15 days. Moreover, their health parameters are being monitored even as they are in the workers’ sheds,” a senior KKNPP official said.
