Precautionary measures for pourakarmikas, activation of booth level committees to fight COVID-19 and monitoring high-risk primary and secondary contacts were among the issues discussed at the first meetings of ward committees across the city on Monday with an aim to discuss micro-level strategies to contain the spread of the pandemic in their respective wards.

Ward committees have been instructed to conduct such meetings every week to monitor the COVID-19 situation in their respective jurisdictions.

Mala Sugantha, a participant in Hoysala Nagar ward, said, “They informed us that a war room would be set up in all Assembly constituencies to effectively monitor COVID-19 cases. They spoke about a door-to-door survey. The official concerned should keep track of such meetings on a regular basis. There was a meeting regarding a ward level disaster management committee a couple of weeks ago, but that committee never got activated,” she said.

Madhu Bhushan, a participant of the meeting in Kacharakanahalli, said that issues discussed included COVID-19 Care Centres (CCC) in the locality, and care and concerns of pourakarmikas.

“Ward committees should work on availability of beds in hospitals in the vicinity. Incentivising volunteers with certificates and providing them with a mask, face shield, gloves and sanitisers is important, as we are struggling to get volunteers at the booth level,” she added.

L.K. Atheeq, the task team head for community involvement through ward committees in urban local bodies, said that around 60 ward committees met on Monday. “We will persuade other committees to conduct meetings. We will also monitor their works. Action will be taken against those not conducting the meeting,” he said.