The Greater Chennai Corporation will intensify active surveillance in at least 15,000 streets that have not reported any cases so far.
Corporation Commissioner G. Prakash said that over 60% of the 39,000 streets in the 15 zones of the city had registered COVID-19 cases during the pandemic.
City health officer Jagadeesan said the civic body would increase testing in areas that had not registered COVID-19 cases so far.
“We will increase the number of fever clinics. Door-to-door surveillance will also be stepped up in such streets,” said the official.
New cases have been reported in zones such as Adyar, in streets that have so far not seen any infections. For instance, streets in areas such as Velachery are now seeing COVID-19 cases for the first time.
Some of the 987 cases reported on Friday were from streets that had not reported infections so far.
Of the 10,879 cases in the city, most have been from zones such as Adyar, Kodambakkam, Anna Nagar and Valasaravakkam.
Streets in areas such as Mugalivakkam, adjoining areas in outskirts such as Kundrathur, have reported cases because of relaxations in lockdown norms and an increase in transportation of residents.
Disinfection drive
The civic body has also planned to disinfect congested streets, roads near government offices and commercial areas using sodium hypochlorite solution to arrest the spread of the infection. Volunteers will visit houses on the 15,000 streets to screen vulnerable residents for Influenza-Like Illnesses. Residents who have symptoms will be tested for COVID-19. Arrangements have also been made to take residents to hospitals before obtaining their COVID-19 test results.
Civic officials have also been directed to take measures for monsoon preparedness without affecting containment activities.
