10,000 families to be in quarantine daily in Chennai

CHENNAI: The city corporation hopes to have 10,000 families including those who test negative starting on 14-day quarantine every day. By the end of two weeks 1.5 lakh houses would have completed quarantine and by the end of 6th cycle a majority of Chennaiites would have completed two weeks of quarantine. This will help flatten the Covid-19 curve and keep many people safe, said commissioner G Prakash.
On the sidelines of a press conference addressed by health minister C Vijayabaskar, Prakash said the corporation classified quarantined people into 14 types including asymptomatic relatives of those who test positive, migrants who return to the state and people who test negative. "We have already said that everyone tested should go on quarantine regardless of the results. This policy was announced two days ago after a detailed analysis," he said.
As per the government's revised containment plan, a street in Chennai is declared a quarantine zone only when members of five households test positive. While there are more than 500 streets with more than five cases, the city does not have streets with more than five fresh index (household) cases.
Earlier, the city had drawn up a large containment plan to bring down cases. "That wasn't working well. Now, we have a home-based quarantine management system. At least 1,200 fresh cases test positive every day. If they go on quarantine along with their family members, it will add up to about 5,000 cases. Besides this others who test negative and migrants who return to the state also have to go on quarantine. This will be another 5,000 cases," he said. Chennai will soon have 5000 volunteers to oversee quarantine measures.
The policy of mandating quarantine for asymptomatic people who test negative was announced to discourage private labs and hospitals from conducting "needless tests." For instance, a hospital which ordered tests for woman in labour also insisted her husband and the nanny be tested, an official said.
Senior doctors and epidemiologists said this may result in panic. "We order tests for all patients undergoing elective surgery. This is done so surgery outcomes are good and healthcare personnel are protected," said a senior doctor who is a member of the expert medical committee. "As a doctor I would test myself - whether or not I have symptoms - if my patient or colleague tests positive. I can't go on quarantine if I test negative," he said.
Health secretary J Radhakrishnan and Vijayabaskar did not contest Prakash at the press conference. But they later said mandating quarantine for people testing negative was not a part of the state protocol.