CHENNAI: Twenty percent of Chennai’s total population have attended the fever camps held for COVID-19 screening so far.
According to data from the Chennai corporation, a total of 20,30,073 people have attended the 37,384 camps so far. This is approximately about 20 percent of the city’s population, which is estimated to be around one crore.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Corporation Commissioner G Prakash said the fever camps have helped in proactively identifying people with symptoms including hypoxia conditions.
“Though we know they (positive cases) cannot be eradicated cent percent, we can bring it to lower levels for sure with the system in place,’’ he said.
Out of the 1,12,982 samples taken so far, 19,787 have tested positive, resulting in a positivity rate of about 17 percent.
While the fever camps gained enormous traction in the initial stages upto July, the number of people attending them slumped subsequently in August.
From an average of 30,000 people attending the camps daily till July, the number came down to about 13,000 by August 16, which is a 50 percent fall. However, on August 24, a total of 23,222 people had attended the camps.
The civic body conducts around 500 camps every day with an average of 40 camps each zone. The highest number of camps so far have been held in Anna Nagar (3773) and Teynampet (3772).
Despite Ambattur having more cases in recent times, camps held there are comparatively fewer at an average of 30 a day, while the total number of camps held there is 2321.
With cases rising in Chennai daily and the positivity rate going beyond 10 percent, officials hope that fever camps and workplace intervention of screening and testing will bring the number of
cases down in the city again.
“At least till the end of November, the camps will continue at the same frequency till the cases reach a safe level,’’ Prakash said.
The Corporation Commissioner said that the camps will ultimately help in reducing the mortality to a great extent.