Livelihood an issue in colony clusters

Thiruvananthapuram: As cluster of cases centred around families keep rising in closely-inhabited colonies and slum population, the health team and authorities are likely to face a dilemma similar to ones they confronted in coastal areas. With the inhabitants in these areas thriving on daily labour, a two-week quarantine and a 10-day isolation, followed by observation period, could seriously impact their means of livelihood.
Health officials often face stiff protests from people who test positive when they have to be shifted to first line treatment centres or hospitals. “There was an old woman who tested positive but pleaded with us to let her finish selling vegetables. There are so many sole bread winners who either test positive or have to be quarantined. They don’t have much savings and if they are out of work for seven days or more, their families would suffer badly,” said a health official associated with Covid management in a slum area in the city.
When clusters were detected in coastal areas, the authorities and health team had faced intense protests from the coastal folk since they were being deprived of livelihood, and government’s aid in the form of ration hardly catered to their needs. With clusters taking shape at a fast pace within the slums in the city, the health team is wary of a similar situation.
Jayalekshmi, ward councillor, Thampanoor said that livelihood is a crucial factor even while pressing for isolation and containment. “We are not able to enforce complete containment here because people are forced to go for work and earn daily for their families. Even though we try to supply them with provisions, without earnings they are forced to work,” said Jayalekshmi. When cases were first reported in Chalai, many of them belonged to Karimadom colony. However, cases did not spread much then, and with markets reopening people were able to find work.
“This time around, daily wage labourers, old people are getting infected with Covid, and the spread has been consistent that containment zone had to be declared in these areas,” said an official. Auto drivers, market employees, home maids and cleaning staff have been infected in these clusters. Containment of the area and isolation of individuals are turning out to be a tough task for authorities.
Officials point out another aspect wherein relatives of an infected family pitch in to take care of kids or elderly persons. “Sometimes parents may test positive but kids will be negative. In such cases, relatives will take care of kids. They may be primary or secondary contacts; however, they will have to work for themselves and for the people they need to take care of,” an official said.
Meanwhile, MLA V S Sivakumar distributed sanitizers and masks in colonies. Around 30,000 masks and 3,000 sanitisers are being distributed at Rajaji nagar, Karimadom, Chirakkulam, Bund colony and areas at Thycaud and Melarannur. Sivakumar said that food and financial aid should be made available to people under quarantine in these colonies.