The Chennai Corporation has started intensive door-to-door verification and community surveillance in 15 neighbourhoods of the city, where residents tested positive for COVID-19.
Corporation Commissioner G. Prakash has advised all residents in the 15 neighbourhoods to stay home. Releasing the list of the 15 areas, Mr. Prakash said: “People are strongly advised to stay home and to come out only for basic needs. Masks are advised indoors for people who have a travel history or a history of exposure to any positive patients in the notified localities.”
“All those under quarantine are to be 300% careful and should never step out of their homes. They have to make their own local arrangements to get products delivered in a basket outside. Any violation will be viewed strictly,” said Mr. Prakash.
“A containment plan was started in Chennai from Sunday morning. Houses where residents tested positive for COVID-19 will be the epicentre. Some 2,500 houses around these epicentres will be the focus area, and all houses will be inspected every day. Workers will repeat the inspection daily to track cases of fever and other symptoms. Areas outside the focus area will be verified by health workers once in two days. This will be done for 28 days,” said Mr. Prakash.
He requested mediapersons to broadcast names of the affected locations “again and again”, with names of the areas as notified by the Public Relations Officer. But a few media houses have decided not to disclose the names to avoid panic among residents of the localities. Essential services such as delivery of drinking water cans in some of the 15 areas have reportedly been disrupted, as news of the list of localities spread on Sunday.
Fifteen teams have been constituted for door-to-door verification in the areas. “For the containment plan, we are deploying 2,500 DBC, 1,500 anganwadi workers, 750 health nurses and 1,500 schoolteachers. It is a very important step that we are taking. All protective equipment will be supplied and basic enquiries will be made,” he said.
Involves teachers
The civic body has asked 1,500 teachers, of its 281 schools, to carry out community surveillance, contact tracking and be part of its containment strategy.
“We are ready to serve, but we are not technically qualified to do the work during a pandemic. They should have used services of sanitary inspectors who have the requisite skills. Teachers who visit affected homes may even cause the spread of COVID-19 in their neighbourhoods, as they are not skilled to handle a pandemic,” said a teacher.
The Corporation has asked 20,240 persons to be under home quarantine. As many as 1,120 persons have completed 28 days under home quarantine.
