With infections surging in the State, the Southern Railway has kept 299 of its coaches, converted into isolation wards, ready on tracks across its network to accommodate over 4,500 people requiring quarantine facilities.
Though 573 coaches were modified during the first wave of COVID-19 last year, 274 were inducted back for passenger train operations.
Last March, the Ministry of Railways had approved the conversion of second-class coaches into isolation facilities, with oxygen and other basic medical infrastructure.
Workers needing stay
The Southern Railway has been witnessing a sharp increase in the number of migrant workers seeking accommodation in trains to travel back to their home States.
The zonal chief, in a note, appealed to the workers not to panic as a sufficient number of trains were being operated to several States from the southern destinations.
A total of 45 trains would be operated per week, on various days, from the 11 originating points in Tamil Nadu and Kerala to Bihar, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Assam and Jharkhand. These are considered key States from where migrant workers arrive to the southern region.
Care centres
With an increase in the demand for beds, the Tamil Nadu government has revived COVID-19 Care Centres in the State.
Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar said 35,118 beds were made available so far, though only 5,784 people had got admitted. “We are appealing to asymptomatic people who test positive to move to COVID-19 Care Centres because beds in hospitals are required for patients with moderate or severe conditions,” he said.
Dr. Vijayabaskar said the flattening of the curve would not be possible without full-fledged public participation. Complacency remained an obstacle in achieving a reversal of the ongoing trend since a large number of people seemed “relaxed” when it came to wearing of masks.
