CHENNAI: Even as Chennai combats over 50,000 active COVID-19 cases, almost 31,000 of the city's 39,537 streets remain free from the infection. All the 50,000 cases is concentrated in about 8,000 streets, meaning every street averages 6-7 cases, according to January 14 data.
In mid-September, when the city had fewer than 2,000 active COVID-19 cases, the positive cases were scattered across 850 streets with every street averaging two cases.
According to on field corporation staff, the concentration of a large number of COVID-19 cases on few streets may indicate lax home isolation, especially in the period between the onset of symptoms and receipt of test results. The virus is quickly to be passed on to family members and neighbours at this time.
"When they test positive, they take home isolation seriously because nobody wants to intentionally pass on the infection. But they should isolate themselves as soon as they start seeing symptoms or if they were travelling, which in many cases, is not being done," said a corporation sanitary officer, adding that until the test results return positive, they go about their routine unknowingly spreading the virus.
Earloier, it was reported that an apartment complex in Egmore had 17 COVID-19 cases earlier this month. Similarly, a man who had returned from Mumbai, infected seven members of his family as he did not isolate himself after the journey.
On Saturday the corporation reiterated that those waiting for their RT-PCR results must isolate themselves at home until they receive the results and will be provided with medical kits containing vitamin C and zinc tablets.T Prem (name changed), a resident of a homestay in KK Nagar suspects he contracted the virus from his neighbour on the ground floor.
"I have been working from home and mostly restrict trips outside to essential runs ever since the number of infections began to rise. Last week, I spoke to my neighbour on the ground floor for some time and usually people in the building don’t wear masks while walking around the building and only use it while going out. They told me they had a mild cold and was going to get tested. Two days later I found out they had tested positive and two days after that, I tested positive too," he added.
Corporation data available as on Friday showed 31,831 of the streets remained free from infection even as daily new cases were on the rise in the city. A total of 1,010 streets had five or more than five COVID-19 cases.