The Health Department has opened COVID-19 screening and awareness camps at eight important entry points to the district from Tiruchi, Ariyalur, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur and Pudukottai districts.
Interactive map of confirmed coronavirus cases in India
Staff posted at these camps have been provided with ‘fever guns’ to check body temperature of passengers travelling in public transport vehicles and in own vehicles. Drivers and others travelling in goods carriers were also subjected to the test. If any person was found to have a temperature over and above 38.5 degree Celsius, they were asked to provide their personal and journey details which were recorded. If they declare that they were suffering from cough and mild irritation in throat they were asked to provide treatment and place of treatment particulars.
On the first day of this camp on Thanjavur-Tiruchi Highway at Pudupatti on Wednesday, details of a person from Dindigul who was proceeding to Thanjavur to call on his relatives’ family was collected as his body temperature was over 40 degree Celsius.
Private, tourist and goods carriers with registration numbers other than Thanjavur and Tiruchi districts were subjected to a thorough check at the Pudupatti camp. Police and Regional Transport Office staff were roped in to assist the Health Department staff in carrying out this exercise aimed at checking transmission of COVID-19 virus from visitors as already 122 persons in Thanjavur district and those passing through Thanjavur district were suspected to have contracted the virus, according to official sources.
After supervising the activities at the camp, Collector M.Govinda Rao enquired with the staff whether any fresh case was reported. A 20-year-old male from a nearby village, who had returned to his hamlet from Bengaluru, where he had been employed, approached the camp stating that he was suffering from cough and throat irritation for the past few days. When the staff inquired whether he had taken any treatment for the ailment, he said he had approached the Primary Health Care centre near his village. After collecting his personal details and contact number, the camp staff advised him to take medicines provided to him at the PHC.
Later, Mr.Govinda Rao said the virus infection was not reported in Thanjavur district. However, passengers travelling by road and long-distance commuters alighting from trains in railway junctions or stations in Thanjavur district were being screened.
Tiruvarur
A COVID-19 virus testing centre has been set up at Government Medical College Hospital, Tiruvarur, according to the Collector T.Anand.
Disclosing this to reporters at Viswanathapuram village panchayat in Koradacherry Block on Wednesday, he said persons of this region who have returned from foreign countries were subjected to screening at the GMC hospital. Even if they tested negative, they were brought under surveillance for the next 14 days.
Mr.Anand said the HR and CE Department officials have been directed to ensure that festivals and other events in temples were conducted in such a manner that congregation of devotees in large numbers was avoided.
The district has been divided into 21 zones and officials in the grade of Deputy Collector have been posted to conduct field-level inspections on daily basis and submit reports with respect to the implementation of COVID-19 virus prevention exercise.
Earlier, he inspected the Tiruvarur Taluk Office, new and old bus stands in Tiruvarur and directed officials to display notices containing dos and dont’s with respect to COVID-19 virus.
