ERODE: With 109 fresh cases on Tuesday, Kottamallam became the latest Covid-19 hotspot in Erode district. Testing was ramped up in the hilly village after 26 people were found to have been infected the previous day.
Initially, the 26 patients were given treatment at a Covid Care Centre in Chikkahali, around 20 km from the village. When over 100 new cases were reported on Tuesday, the new patients were taken to a private school at Thalavadi in government buses.
Sources said that the school was converted into a Covid Care Centre by putting together tables for beds, and the patients were asked to bring pillows and bedsheets with them. The officials arranged a cook to prepare food for the patients. They had also requested the district administration to provide an X-ray machine, sources added.
The village has over 300 families, including tribals. Many of them have their immediate families in Karnataka, and some visit the neighbouring state on a daily basis for work. A week ago, some people from Tiruppur and Karnataka reportedly attended a marriage in the village, which could have led to a sudden surge in Covid cases, the officials added.
"Now, Kottamallam residents have been asked to not allow outsiders into the village to break the chain. So far, 600 of them have been tested for the viral infection, and more people have been encouraged to take the RT-PCR test voluntarily," said an official.
Health officials said that not many had taken the jab as they were either hesitant or had difficulty accessing the vaccination drives.
As a similar spike in Covid cases was reported from the Thalavadi block, which has several tribal villages, the panchayat officials are in touch with the health staff to update them about people with Covid symptoms. During the first wave, Thalavadi taluk reported less than 200 cases. The case count, however, started increasing in April 2021, the officials added.