The occupancy in the COVID first-line treatment centres (FLTCs) run by the city Corporation has fallen to fewer than 200 persons this week with the falling number of positive cases in the region and with a majority of those who have tested positive choosing to isolate at home.
The situation is in stark contrast with that a few months ago when the FLTCs run by the local bodies were overflowing with those who tested positive with mild or no symptoms. The Corporation had opened eight FLTCs after initially identifying 19 buildings. Most of the institutional quarantine centres have now been closed down, with only one remaining open now. These centres were meant mainly to quarantine those returning from abroad or other States and not having proper facilities to quarantine at home.
Transit point
“Now we have only the institutional quarantine centre at Mar Ivanios College, which is serving mainly as a transit point for one or two days for those arriving on flights and heading to other places. The other quarantine centres have been closed down as we no longer need them,” said an official of the Corporation’s health wing.
With the administrative committee taking charge from the ruling council in the Corporation ahead of the local body elections, the committee also has the added responsibility of running the FLTCs and institutional quarantine centres. As per the government order issued on Thursday, the committee also should continue the awareness campaigns to ensure physical distancing in public spaces and coordinate with the District Disaster Management Authority and the District Medical Officer to carry out disease prevention activities, field-level COVID-19 tests, and reverse quarantine monitoring.
The local body-level FLTC management committee will also see a change at the helm with the Corporation secretary taking charge in place of the Mayor, who had presided over the committee earlier, as per an order issued on Wednesday. The secretary will be included as a signatory for the joint bank accounts, from which spendings are made to run the FLTCs.
