Select Corporation hospitals to turn into isolation zones

According to a Chennai Corporation official, isolation ward facilities would be provided at 100-bedded hospitals in Tiruvottiyur, Manali and Injambakkam. Also, arrangements have been made at Communicable Disease Hospital (CDH) in Tondiarpet.

"Soon after the disease was reported in the State, we have allocated 30 beds to treat COVID-19 patients," the official said.

The decision has been taken after the number of persons to be quarantined is increasing every day and the many isolated persons do not have separate space in their homes, leaving family members susceptible.

As on March 24, the civic body had quarantined only around 5,000 persons and their houses, and the numbers exponentially increased in two days. As on Thursday, the civic body quarantined around 22,000 houses.

"We are still identifying the primary and secondary contacts of persons who returned from foreign countries.

The number of persons to be isolated and houses to be quarantined will also go up in the next few days. But, we need more space," the official added.

It may be noted that the State government had already made arrangements to provide a 350-bedded isolation ward at Government Multi-Speciality Hospital.

Meanwhile, G Prakash, Chennai Corporation Commissioner, has requested the public to provide unused space for isolated persons.

"Due to the need for the creation of more quarantine space as reserve security arrangements, an appeal has been made by the Chennai Corporation towards the general public to allow their unused homes, lodges, mansions with rooms that can be given for quarantine," he requested.

While mooting the usage of drones to spray sanitiser solution in crowded areas, the Chennai Corporation has already deployed firefighter vehicles to disinfect multi-storeyed buildings in the city.

On Friday, civic officials and fire and rescue service department  conducted a sanitisation drive at Moorthi Nagar Housing Board premises near Tondiarpet. “Using the cranes in the fire engine, the disinfectant solution was sprayed covering the entire buildings,” the official said.

Meanwhile, the civic body also had retrofitted beach cleaning tractors with butterfly sprinklers to sanitise the streets. “As the beaches have been closed for the public, we have converted as many as 9 beach cleaning tractors into sprinklers. This arrangement will ensure fast and effective sanitising of streets,” another official said.

Fogging machines, which were used for mosquito control and jet-rodding machines that were used for cleaning underground sewer lines have been converted into sanitising devices, the official added.