A gated community in Sholinganallur here has emerged as the second major COVID-19 cluster, seen as different from the first one at Kilpauk which started after a religious gathering. This second major cluster in Zone -15 and Division 197 at the Ramaniyam Gaurav Apartments, Model School Road, Sholinganallur (two blocks) has come as a surprise to the health officials who have been hectically involved in sensitising people on COVID-19 related safety precautions.
A total of 398 samples were lifted from the people at Ramaniyam Gaurav apartments and of them 23 people had tested positive. Of them, four were administered single doses of COVID vaccine while 11 others availed two doses of the vaccine, Dr J Radhakrishnan, Health Secretary who inspected the apartments early this morning said.
He was accompanied by Greater Chennai Corporation Regional Deputy Commissioner Simranjeet, Zonal Health Officer Dr. Usha, Zonal officer Sukumar and other officials.
Six children aged between 1 to 10 years and diagnosed with fever and asymptomatic have been advised home isolation, he told PTI.
During the inspection it was found that the apartment security personnel were not vaccinated, so the officials erected barricades in the area. Following a complaint by a resident that only the garbage of infected persons was being removed, Dr Radhakrishnan directed the civic officials to put in place a dedicated garbage disposal plan.
A temple gathering at Varadhammal Garden Street near Kilpauk on August 2 at a temple turned out to be a COVID spreader infecting 24 people and leaving a 47-year old woman with comorbid conditions dead. Nearly 300 people had gathered for the annual religious event and even the trustees of the temple contracted the virus, a senior official said.
After the emergence of two major clusters in the metro, Dr Radhakrishnan directed the district Collectors and Commissioner of GCC to take up effective micro containment and also intensify the campaign on masks and be strict on enforcement in crowded places.
"Of late we are having cluster cases. We were witness to a few clusters in Chennai. Effective cluster control has been done by Chennai Corporation. One was a festival cluster and another a gated community, he said in the communication.
"Like Chennai and neighbouring three districts, cases in Thanjavur and delta districts and Coimbatore and surrounding areas are also not coming down further after relaxations," he said.