The city Corporation, which had closed down its COVID-19 first-line treatment centres (FLTCs) after the easing of the pandemic situation, has now reopened some of those and is planning to open more with COVID-19 cases shooting up in the capital city. Over the past two days, the district as a whole has recorded more than 40% test positivity rate (TPR), with the city too having some major clusters.
The civic body has currently opened FLTCs at the Homoeo Hospital at Iranimuttam, Government Hospital at Fort, Manvila and the Samethi campus near Anayara. Though most of these centres have less than 10 occupants currently, one has close to 70. On Tuesday, directions were issued to open more FLTCs at Ayush Panchakarma hospital in Poojappura, Railway Auditorium at Thampanoor, Chacka and Vellayambalam.
Though a majority of those who have tested positive with mild symptoms are opting for home isolation, civic officials feel that there will be requirement for first-line treatment and isolation facilities at the current rate of spread. In the initial days of the pandemic, the Corporation had opened several FLTCs and institutional quarantine centres, which had put the civic body’s financial as well as human resources under severe strain. Some of these centres had taken care of people from the nearby panchayats too, which did not have such facilities of their own.
Though the Corporation has not yet decided to reopen its COVID-19 control room, it will for the time being coordinate with the control room to be opened at the Collectorate as per a decision of a review meeting held on Tuesday. The COVID-19 brigade will be back in action and ambulances will be deployed in a centralised manner from the control room.
Meanwhile, the rapid spread of the virus has affected the functioning of the Corporation, with a large number of officials in various sections forced to isolate at their houses. Several officials of the engineering as well as the birth and death registration sections tested positive in the past few days, leaving behind a rather thin workforce. Two of the standing committee chairpersons have also tested positive.
