THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: For the sixth straight day, the state on Sunday recorded over a thousand new cases of Covid-19. The contact transmission cases also crossed the 1,000-mark for the fourth consecutive day. Of the 1,211 new cases, 1,026 were due to contact transmission.
To prevent the tribal hamlets from becoming Covid hotspots, the health department has come out with a special health action plan. The assessment of the department is that like the coastal community, there are several favourable factors in tribal hamlets which can contribute to virus spread among the population.
“Chances of rapid Covid spread among the tribal population are quite high. Special attention is needed in Wayanad, Idukki and Palakkad as they account for majority of the tribal population in the state,” said a health official.
The action plan envisages facility for testing suspected Covid cases and people coming from outside will be set up at all the entry points to tribal village, with walk-in sample kiosks also on the cards.
Covid Care Centres and Covid First-Line Treatment Centres will be established in the tribal areas. This will ensure that people with mild symptoms/ asymptomatic could be admitted there itself.,” reads an excerpt of the plan.
The action plan also warns against the bridge population and the need to quarantine, screen and test them.
“Youngsters in tribal hamlets employed in nearby towns, those visiting people outside the settlement and people supplying essentials to the settlements could be considered bridge population. Also, Tribals coming from other states through forest paths are regarded as high risk,” says the action plan.