The district administration has begun work to revive the COVID Care Centre at Bharathidasan University’s Khajamalai campus a day after a sharp increase in the number of positive cases.
Health officials have also been instructed to scale up sample testing for the viral infection.
Tiruchi, which was reporting less that 50 cases only a couple of days ago, has begun recording double the number since Saturday. Health and civic officials have been pressed into action to help contain the spread.
The COVID care centre is being readied due to increase in number of cases. “Many of the patients are asymptomatic, and a COVID care centre, like the one we had last year is necessary,”. Ram Ganesh, Deputy Director of Health Services, told The Hindu .
The BDU campus in Khajamalai has been sanitised, cleaned and prepared for the purpose and will be functional by Sunday. A separate medical team and arrangements for beds and nutritious food for patients are on stand by.
The district is defining a ‘cluster’ in a locality as one with more than three cases in close proximity. “This will help us keep a check on the spread. Containment zones will be created in houses and in apartments, if needed,” he said.
The Health Secretary and Chief Secretary have also instructed authorities to increase testing. As many as 4,000 samples are being lifted every day across the district. “In Tiruchi Corporation limit alone, we are taking 1,000 samples. Along with samples from primary healthcare centres and mobile fever camps, we are able to identify the source of the infection,” S. Sivasubramanian, Corporation Commissioner, said.
With the Central government instructing COVID-19 vaccine session sites to work on weekends and government holidays, health officials hope the vaccination drive will pick up pace. “We have been inoculating up to 5,000 people a day and expect it to increase over the next few weeks,” Mr. Ram Ganesh said.
A fresh supply of both Covishield and Covaxin is also under way from Chennai, he added.
