CHENNAI: Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan wrote a letter to all district collectors, the Chennai Corporation Commissioner and other officials to follow intensive and sustained public health measures to prevent any spurt in communicable diseases such as Covid-19 (Delta and Omicron variants), dengue, potential swine flu and other viral and seasonal infections.
In his letter on Monday, the Health Secrtery instructed officials to test people who develop signs or symptoms of Covid-19, besides people from ‘at risk’ and ‘non risk’ countries to avoid any localised cluster forming out of Delta or Omicron variants. “This item of work should be given utmost importance by getting updates from your district public health teams and laboratories,” he wrote.
If reports of positive cases, either after arrival of international travellers or from localised clusters emerge, there should be 100% tracing of contacts and extended contacts. Positive cases with or without ‘s’ gene drop should be identified and treated, the Health Secretary said.
Radhakrishnan also instructed officials to lead Covid-appropriate behaviour campaigns by involving people from all walks of life and making it a people’s movement. The campaigns should go beyond merely creating awareness and focus more on resulting in change of behaviour and encouraging local people, traders, civic bodies and NGOs to participate in the campaign.
Radhakrishnan also ordered increased surveillance, continuing aggressive and increased testing, tracking and treatment. On vaccination, focus is especially needed on improving the coverage of elderly and immuno-compromised individuals, apart from covering those yet to take the first dose and those due and overdue for the second dose.
He also instructed officials to strictly monitor for seven days, home quarantine of people coming from ‘at risk’ countries who test negative on arrival and test them again on the eighth day. Covid and Omicron surveillance needs to strictly abide by the guidelines issued by the Union government from time to time, Radhakrishnan added.
7 school students test +ve near Samayapuram
Tiruchy: As many as seven students from a private school near Samayapuram tested positive for the coronavirus on Monday. Following the results, the district administration and Health Department ordered the closure of the school till Wednesday and sanitisation of the campus. The cases came to light after a student from the school tested positive. Following this, random tests were conducted, which led to detection of more cases. Officials said mass testing of over 600 students has been ordered as a preventive measure.
Six students of govt school in Kovai infected
Coimbatore: Six students of the government higher secondary school in Seripalayam tested positive for Covid-19 on Saturday. The school will remain closed till Wednesday. Headmistress N Selvi told TNIE, “Over 700 students are studying from class V to XII. Last week, the health department staff had taken swab tests of the students. Three students from class IX, two in class X and one in class VI had tested positive. They are undergoing treatment in the Pollachi government hospital.”