These volunteers deployed by Chennai Corporation will ensure that essential needs of those in quarantine and isolation are met.
The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has now deployed a team of volunteers called Friend of COVID Citizen Under Surveillance (FOCUS) across its 200 wards in 15 zones to help monitor all those under home quarantine and home isolation. While those in home quarantine are those who have returned from other states or abroad, while home isolation is for those who have tested positive for the coronavirus but are asymptomatic.
Each of the 3,500 FOCUS volunteers will visit every house under quarantine, coming under their limits, at least thrice daily. Their responsibility will include ensuring quarantine protocols are not violated by those under isolation. Additionally, they will also make sure that essential needs, like groceries, medicines, etc., of those under quarantine and isolation are met.
The Corporation has also been focussing on its fever camps conducted daily across zones. Since June 8, GCC has conducted 6,811 such fever camps, 532 just on June 23, attended by 4,33,857 persons. The fever camps are equipped with thermal scanners and pulse oximeter and are used to check persons for COVID-19 symptoms like fever, cough, throat pain, etc. Over 13,000 Influenza Like Illness (ILI) patients have been identified because of these fever camps. So far, swabs from 10,697 persons have been taken.
With over 18,000 active COVID-19 cases as on date, GCC is working towards improving its institutional quarantine centres. Commissioner G Prakash on Tuesday inspected a new COVID Care Centre (CCC) that is to come up at an unoccupied Tamil Nadu Housing Board Tenement in Ambattur. Speaking to reporters after his inspection, the Commissioner said that the tenement with over 1,450 two-bedroom apartments in six towers will be equipped to house between 4,500 to 5,000 beds. Patients with mild symptoms will be lodged here.
GCC is also working to set up CCC at Anna University campus, having already requested them to hand over their Centre of Excellence and Silver Jubilee buildings. Commissioner also added that there are about 55 centres in Chennai with 17,500 beds already. As on date, 3,200 patents have occupied beds and this is a regularly fluctuating number, he added.
As of June 23, 24,670 patients have been discharged in the city and 645 persons have died due to COVID-19.
Source: The News Minute