COVID-19: Evening fever camps in Chennai receiving good response with higher footfalls

The civic body recently began organising fever camps from 3 pm to 5 pm and from 6 pm to 8 pm, to screen the office-goers who return home after work. 
Chennai corporation collecting swabs from migrant workers who are working at a construction site at OMR (Photo | Ashwin Prasath, EPS)
Chennai corporation collecting swabs from migrant workers who are working at a construction site at OMR (Photo | Ashwin Prasath, EPS)

CHENNAI: The Corporation-run fever camps in the evenings have received good response from the public, especially office-goers, as more than 1,000 people have been visiting such camps daily since October 10.

On October 16 alone, a total of 2,138 people attended the 45 fever camps held that day. The civic body recently began organising fever camps from 3 pm to 5 pm and from 6 pm to 8 pm, to screen the office-goers who return home after work. 

Even though the number of evening camps are fewer compared to morning camps, the officials said the response has been good. 

“This is a pilot initiative. Based on daily footfall and feedback, number of evening camps will be increased,” an official with the Corporation’s health department said. 

A total of 8,642 people have attended the 223 evening fever camps between October 10 to 16. Swab samples from 118 visitors have been lifted.

Every evening, the civic body releases addresses of Urban Primary Health Centres (UPHC) and names and phone numbers of designated doctors in its website www.chennaicorporation.gov.in for people to check the location and timings of the camps. 

Officials said that at present the evening and night camps are being held only in the UPHCs at specific localities.

“So, people just need to search for the UPHC address and be present there if they have symptoms,” an official said. 

“Due to rainy season, we are still unsure how many people would turn up, but doctors will be present to take tests or recommend medicines,” added the official. 

Apart from this, 20,000 people on an average daily visit the camps in the mornings.  As many as 60,919 camps have been held so far and 30,76,220 people have visited them.

This is estimated to be around 30 per cent of Chennai’s population. A total of 1,71,293 swab samples were taken at the camps, of which 27,244 people turned positive, clocking a positivity rate of 15 per cent.

Swab samples

A total of 8,642 people have attended the 223 evening fever camps between October 10 to 16. Swab samples from 118 visitors have been lifted.

Officials said that at present the evening and night camps are being held only in the UPHCs at specific localities. 

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