Ineffective measures in containment zone in the city have caused resentment among a section of residents in the wake of the rise in COVID-19 cases.
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When the pandemic spread in April-May 2020, the authorities took a number of steps to contain its spread by establishing containment zones. If a person was diagnosed with the virus, a seven-km radius from the residence of the affected person was declared as a containment zone and was in force for 14 days. None, except for genuine reasons, was allowed to go out of the containment zones or into the prohibited areas. Depending upon the evolving scenario, the rules were changed and relaxed.
The micro-containment zone system was introduced when the delta variant of COVID-19 spread in 2021. If three persons in a residential locality or street tested positive for the virus, Corporation authorities declared the area as prohibited. In addition to it, a number of measures such as door-to-door verification of fever cases, check-up, intensive fever camps in problematic areas and clean-up operation were taken to check the spread of the virus.
The city witnesses a rapid increase in the number of COVID-19 cases once again. The number of cases, which was in the range of 10 to 30 till recently, went to 444 on Thursday alone. The authorities predict that it could even surpass the 2,000 mark in a week or two.
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Sources say fresh cases are being reported in all four zones in the city. The health department of the Corporation has set up a few micro-level containment zones here and there, but some residents feel that they are highly ineffective. It does not have information on warning the neighbours or outsiders about the prevalence of COVID-19 cases. Moreover, they allege that they hardly notice the arrival of health or sanitary workers to check the fever cases and to take preventive steps. Though several clusters of fresh cases have emerged in the city, only a few containment zones have been established, allege the residents.
“It seems that the micro-level containment zones exist only on paper. More than 1,500 persons were diagnosed with COVID-19 in the last one week alone in the city. But, the containment zones are not in commensurate with the number of active cases,” says N. Jamaludeen, a civic activist.
Moreover, there is hardly any system to monitor the movement of the patients, who are in home isolation and treatment. They casually go out to hotels, restaurants, medical shops and other places.
“We notice many patients who tested positive for the virus buying medicines on their own. Except a few, most of them do not wear masks. They stand and mingle along with other persons casually, thereby increasing the chances of rapid spread. It is a matter of great concern,” says an employee of a medical shop in Thillai Nagar.
Corporation Commissioner P.M.N. Mujibur Rahuman, when contacted, told The Hindu that the health authorities had been instructed to declare a street as containment zone if three or more cases were detected. Persons who tested positive were being tracked over telephone.
Six employees of the Corporation had been engaged to collect information on positive cases so as to monitor their health and treatment. Many preferred home treatment. They were being monitored on a daily basis, he said.