With the increase in numbers of non-residents Keralites returning to the State over the past few weeks, the city Corporation is stepping up the number of institutional quarantine facilities, especially in the coastal areas of the capital city. The coastal areas, till now, have not had a proper institutional quarantine facility, with the closest to the coast being a facility in the Attipra ward.
On Monday, the Beema Maheen Hospital near Beemapally was turned into an institutional quarantine facility with around 30 rooms. The hospital building, which had remained closed for sometime, was cleaned up and re-painted for the purpose. Another building in Kazhakuttam is also being prepared to be a quarantine centre.
In Kunjalumoodu, the Chelsa hospital building, which had also remained closed, is being readied for quarantining purposes. All these buildings are expected to be ready within two days.
The city Corporation authorities have over the past few weeks been receiving requests from people’s representatives in the coastal areas on the need for more institutional quarantine centres in these regions.
“A lot of people are returning from abroad in these areas. Many houses do not have enough space for home quarantine, or rooms with bath-attached facilities. The coastal ward councillors have been requesting for the opening of institutional quarantine centres due to this. ,” said an official of the city Corporation’s health wing.
Fluctuated
The number of people lodged in the city’s institutional quarantine centres, now numbering to 43, has fluctuated since the beginning.
While the numbers had gone up to more than 700 at one point, it later came down to less than half of that when the option for home quarantine was announced. But with increase in arrivals from abroad in recent weeks, the numbers have gone up again, to match those in the initial days.
