The Greater Chennai Corporation has decided to shift mild symptomatic patients in quarantine centers if they are found to be flouting home quarantine rules.
The Corporation Commissioner on Thursday said that they will track down those violating home quarantine with the help of local police and send them to quarantine centers. The announcement was made in the joint press meet by Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner G Prakash and Special Nodal Officer for the Greater Chennai Corporation J Radhakrishnan. The Commissioner also noted that charges may be brought against the violators as well.
On May 5, the Tamil Nadu government gave the nod for treating mild symptomatic patients at their homes, provided they have facilities for home quarantine. In a Government Order, the Tamil Nadu government accepted the proposal of Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicines to allow persons with mild symptoms or pre symptoms for home isolation. Up till then, the patients awaiting test results and the COVID-19 patients were kept at the hospital for treatment.
The Special Nodal Officer J Radhakrishnan said the decision to move violators was taken after people in containment areas were found to be disregarding the rules. “The violators will be immediately taken to institutional quarantine,” he said.
Adding to this, the Corporation Commissioner Prakash said, “Though 80-85% of the people follow strict quarantine measures, 10-15% of people roam around without following the norms. Hence, the Corporation has decided to slap cases against people flouting norms.”
“If a patient tests positive and the people in their homes show symptoms, we will take them to hospital and test them for coronavirus. The Corporation has arranged 30,000 beds, of which only 3,000 beds are filled,” stated the Chennai Corporation Commissioner.
Meanwhile, Special Nodal Officer Radhakrishnan also emphasised the need for wearing masks and washing of hands. He noted that both the practices helped many clusters report nil cases in Chennai.
As of Wednesday, Tamil Nadu recorded 1,286 new COVID-19 patients taking the total numbers of cases in the state to 25,872 cases. Chennai also crossed the 1000-mark and recorded 1,012 positive COVID-19 cases.