The Commissioner of Greater Chennai Corporation, G Prakash, has requested those under home quarantine in the city to strictly stay indoors.
In an advisory issued on Sunday, Prakash stated that people living in Arumbakkam, Purasaiwalkam, Santhome, Virugambakkam, Saidapet, West Mambalam, Porur, Alandur, and Kotturpuram are advised to stay in their houses in these areas and not venture out of their houses unless it is very important. These areas in Chennai have been identified to implement containment measures from Sunday, since COVID-19 patients from Chennai hail from these areas.
Apart from advising people to stay indoors in these localities, the Corporation Commissioner also stated that any violations will be viewed very strictly by the authorities. “Those people under quarantine are to be 300 percent careful and should never step out of their homes. They’ve to make their own local arrangements to get the delivered products in a basket outside (of their houses),” he mentioned. He also stated that people who have travel history or those who have come in contact with someone who was tested positive for COVID-19 in the specified areas only need to wear masks inside their houses.
On Sunday, the Greater Chennai Corporation kickstarted its containment measures in areas where COVID-19 patients were identified. Arumbakkam and Purasaiwalkam (Zone 8) has reported five positive cases of COVID-19, Santhome (Zone 9) has reported one case, Saidapet and West Mambalam (Zone 10) has five confirmed cases of COVID-19, Porur (Zone 11) has two positive cases, Alandur (Zone 12) has tested one person positive for COVID-19 and one person has been tested positive for the virus from Kotturpuram in Zone 13. Thus the total number of patients who have been confirmed positive for novel coronavirus in Chennai stands at 15, according to the Greater Chennai Corporation.
As per the plan, the Corporation will undertake preventive measures in a demarcated five kilometre radius, which is called Containment Zone, around the houses of those who were confirmed positive for COVID-19. Preventive measures will also be undertaken in an additional three kilometre radius called the buffer zone. Healthcare workers from the Corporation will be visiting each of the houses in these areas everyday and take stock of the health situation of those living there.
The guidelines issued by the Centre for containment zones says that apart from surveillance and contact tracing in these zones, authorities can also do perimeter control to ensure there is no outward movement from the zone and no influx of population. All roads including rural roads connecting the containment zone will be guarded by police, and all vehicular movement, movement of public transport and personnel movement can be restricted.