16% of city’s streets have most of its Covid patients

MICRO MANAGEMENT

16% of city’s streets have most of its Covid patients

Royapuram Among Hotspots

Komal.Gautham@timesgroup.com

Chennai:07.06.2020

As the number of Covid-19 cases continues to rise, Greater Chennai Corporation data shows that of the 39,537 streets across 15 zones, only 6,537 streets, or 16%, have Covid patients. Among these streets, all active cases are on 5,943 streets.

Royapuram, Tondiarpet, Thiru vi ka Nagar, Teynampet and Kodambakkam zones account for the highest number of cases and affected streets.

In Tondiarpet, 2,249 patients live on 870 of the 2,995 streets. An official from the zone said only 76 streets had more than 5 cases.

“We are planning several measures and campaigns. We conduct 90-100 fever camps every day. We are testing every contact of Covid positive patient in these streets.”

In Royapuram, 3,344 patients lived on 563 streets, while in Thiru vi ka Nagar, 1,925 patients live on 497 streets and in Kodambakkam, 1,934 patients were on 373 streets. On Saturday, there were 8,947 positive cases with 9,392 people recovered.

“The idea behind breaking the cases as per streets is to ensure we have a micro plan for every street. Whenever there is a cluster, we ensure measures are taken to prevent the spread and to take measures to isolate contacts. This will also help us in consolidating streets without any cases,” said J Radhakrishnan, Covid special officer for the corporation.

Earlier, the strategy was to look at it as an area. “Now, we will break it into streets. In Tsunami colony, earlier an area, will be broken into five streets.”

In a letter drafted to the corporation commissioner and zonal special team leaders on June 4, the chief secretary asked them to follow a new street plan, giving constant updates on streetwise total cases, active cases, recently reported cases that would provide an idea about new outbreak, recurring cases and so on. Corporation commissioner G Prakash said micro plans were being implemented to curb the spread in zones, wards and streets.

Activists say making plans is one thing, implementing them another. “On my street in Nanganallur, a 42-year-old man tested positive. Till date, none of us on the street has been tested though we are senior citizens,” said V Rama Rao, a social worker.