COIMBATORE: Less than 72 hours after it entered the orange zone, Coimbatore district looks set to move back into the red zone, with new cases surfacing in the past two days.
The Union health ministry had on Friday moved the district into the orange zone, as the number of active Covid-19 cases had dropped below 15. However, the number of active cases has now gone up to 12 from 7 on Friday. With the screening of close contacts and family members of the new cases underway, health officials say if four of them test positive before the recovery of the old seven patients, the district would move into the red zone with more than 15 active cases.
Earlier, a district that was in the red zone had to remain without any positive cases for 14 days to enter the orange zone. It was the new guidelines that helped the district find a place in the orange zone, despite completing just seven days sans any new cases. As per the revised guidelines, a district would be eligible to be considered a green zone if it didn’t report any fresh cases for 21 days in a raw, compared to the earlier 28 days.
However, in a span of two days, the district has seen five new cases and three more containment zones - Union post Office Road in Kavundampalayam, Venkitapuram and Royal Nagar in Saramedu. Chances of the cancer ward at Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) getting contaminated or infected are also very high.
Health officials are in the process of collecting samples from the close contacts of the new cases. They are nervous about the test results as there is a possibility of contacts of the pregnant woman and the deceased cancer patient testing positive for the virus.
A health department official said, “The cancer patient was in CMCH for a week, putting many staff and other patients in close quarters at risk. The pregnant woman has, meanwhile, moved around a lot, including to Podanur. We expect our contact tracing and testing to reveal the source of their infection.”
Residents, who just began enjoying a few relaxations in norms, are now worried that moving back into the red zone would mean more restrictions. “Now that we are in the orange zone, free movement of vehicles are allowed from morning to evening, eateries allow takeaway through the day and saloons remain open. This won’t be the case if we move back into the red zone,” said 55-year-old Santhanam, of RS Puram, who was planning to reopen his office in Gandhipuram and visit his elderly parents in Bharathi Colony regularly.
The Union health ministry had on Friday moved the district into the orange zone, as the number of active Covid-19 cases had dropped below 15. However, the number of active cases has now gone up to 12 from 7 on Friday. With the screening of close contacts and family members of the new cases underway, health officials say if four of them test positive before the recovery of the old seven patients, the district would move into the red zone with more than 15 active cases.
Earlier, a district that was in the red zone had to remain without any positive cases for 14 days to enter the orange zone. It was the new guidelines that helped the district find a place in the orange zone, despite completing just seven days sans any new cases. As per the revised guidelines, a district would be eligible to be considered a green zone if it didn’t report any fresh cases for 21 days in a raw, compared to the earlier 28 days.
However, in a span of two days, the district has seen five new cases and three more containment zones - Union post Office Road in Kavundampalayam, Venkitapuram and Royal Nagar in Saramedu. Chances of the cancer ward at Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) getting contaminated or infected are also very high.
Health officials are in the process of collecting samples from the close contacts of the new cases. They are nervous about the test results as there is a possibility of contacts of the pregnant woman and the deceased cancer patient testing positive for the virus.
A health department official said, “The cancer patient was in CMCH for a week, putting many staff and other patients in close quarters at risk. The pregnant woman has, meanwhile, moved around a lot, including to Podanur. We expect our contact tracing and testing to reveal the source of their infection.”
Residents, who just began enjoying a few relaxations in norms, are now worried that moving back into the red zone would mean more restrictions. “Now that we are in the orange zone, free movement of vehicles are allowed from morning to evening, eateries allow takeaway through the day and saloons remain open. This won’t be the case if we move back into the red zone,” said 55-year-old Santhanam, of RS Puram, who was planning to reopen his office in Gandhipuram and visit his elderly parents in Bharathi Colony regularly.
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