CHENNAI: After a 12-year-old boy succumbed to Nipah virus in Kerala, the State Health Department has instructed that all travellers coming from Kerala should be screened for the virus. The deputy directors of health services in the nine bordering districts of Tamil Nadu have been alerted.
After spike in Covid-19 cases, health department officials were already conducting fever surveillance in Tamil Nadu-Kerala border. Speaking to reporters at the Saidapet constituency after distributing welfare measures for elderly, widows, disabled persons and others on Sunday, the Health Minister Ma Subramanian said, people coming from Kerala must either submit a certificate providing two doses of Covid-19 vaccines or RT PCR negative report. Additionally, the officials in the border districts were informed about the Nipah case in Kerala and were told to conduct screening.
When Zika cases were reported in Kerala fever surveillance was intensified, the Minister said. Meanwhile, in his message to all deputy directors of health services in border districts, the Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan said, “Border districts as part of fever surveillance should cover all communicable diseases, especially Zika and Nipah.” Subramanian said Tamil Nadu is taking effective preventive measures to stop any such outbreaks in neighbouring districts.
10,000 vaccination camps
The Chief Minister has instructed to conduct 10,000 Covid-19 vaccination camps in all districts and vaccinate around 20 lakh people per day. On September 12, 10,000 camps will be conducted. In two days six districts starting from Kanniyakumari, will be inspected and district collectors will be instructed to make arrangements for the camps, Subramanian said.
Till Saturday 3.50 crore people were vaccinated against Covid-19 so far, and the State vaccinated -6.20 lakh people-in one day on Saturday, Subramanian said. The State has asked for additional Covid-19 vaccines to vaccinate all people in Tamil Nadu-Kerala border villages. The State will receive 19.22 lakh vaccines from the Centrein two flights on Sunday.Including these the State has 34 lakh vaccines in stock.
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