Officials have collected a little over ₹ 6.95 lakh since March from violators for not wearing masks and neglecting the Standard Operating Procedures, said Collector Dinesh Ponraj Oliver here on Thursday.
Speaking at a review meeting, he said there was a need to tighten the vigil as cases were going up across many districts.
Apart from sensitising the people, especially those above 45 years to get them vaccinated, officials and field staff should set up fever camps. Testing, Tracing and Treating should be the priority.
The public have been clearly told to stay indoors. In the event of those moving out, they should wear masks. Any failure to do so should attract a fine of ₹ 200.
Similarly, shops and establishments, which failed to regulate the shoppers or if sales persons were found not wearing masks, such outlets should be closed.
Public transport should not be allowed for commuters to stand and travel.
The officials said that they had formed teams to screen the public at the PHCs. Fresh cases were being treated at hospitals, while in some cases patients were permitted to remain in quarantine at their houses if there was a separate room and a rest-room.
The district had 6,665 COVID-19 cases as on Thursday, as per the data released by the State Health Department. Of them, 6409 were discharged and 118 patients were admitted in hospitals after being tested positive to the virus, the officials said at the meeting.
Tirunelveli
With fresh COVID-19 cases increasing alarmingly in the district over the past two weeks in the wake of the ‘second wave,’ the corporation has intensified operations to contain possible outbreak.
After seven cases were detected in Thamirapathi Colony in Palayamkottai on Wednesday, the corporation intensified cleaning operations in the area and the entire colony was sanitized. On Friday, 13 persons from a street in Senthamizh Nagar in Pettai tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday and the street has been consequently converted into ‘containment zone’.
Sensing the danger in store, the corporation resumed sprinkling of sanitizing agents in the buses, autorickshaws, ATMs, markets and other places where the people would gather in large number.
Sources in the Department of Health Services said 10 persons had tested positive for the viral infection in Palayamkottai talkuk, 6 in Valliyoor, 3 each in Maanur and Radhapuram areas and 1 each in Nanguneri and Paapaakudi areas.
“In all, Tirunelveli reported 75 cases on Thursday, the highest among the southern districts, while Kanniyakumari and Thoothukudi districts recorded 62 and 47 new cases respectively. Tenkasi had 24 cases,” said the officials of Department of Health Services.
With the number of fresh cases increasing alarmingly, number of persons coming to the Tirunelveli Medical College’s Multispecialty for vaccination has increased manifold, sources in the hospital say.
