CHENNAI: With educational institutions set to reopen shortly and cases falling, the Chennai Corporation has begun the process of handing back those which were used as COVID care centres.
"We have already started handing over the institutions after following the exit protocols. Right now, only the KP Park slum tenements are occupied. Rest are totally free," Corporation Commissioner G Prakash told The New Indian Express.
The city had about 55 care centres with various forms of treatment including western medicine, Siddha and Ayurveda. A total of 20,000 beds were available in all the centres.
While close to 5,000 patients occupied the centres during July, as the positive cases subsequently came down, the occupancies at the care centres too dipped.
Presently, as of November 8, only 279 patients occupy the care centre at KP Park in Pulianthope. The centre is a newly constructed slum board tenement and has more than 1,000 beds.
"The occupancy is lower now as many people with mild symptoms prefer home quarantine," the official added.
Data shows that on November 8, only 31 people were admitted to the care centres while 15 people were discharged, even as the city recorded 601 positive cases on the day.
The city overall has 5,813 active cases which is below 3 percent of the total positive cases, while 96 percent people have been discharged.
'Beds available if cases spurt'
While the civic body is set to return all the care centres, officials say that the existing care centre at Pulianthope can accommodate more than 1,000 patients if cases spurt in the city again.
"Apart from this, there is a care centre at the trade centre too with more than 600 beds. All the educational institutions will be fully returned after being completely disinfected," the official added.
Officials said that the classrooms were completely cleaned and disinfected daily even while patients were there. "The classrooms would be handed over just like they were before the Corporation took them. Parents or students need not worry or fear," said the official.