The Coimbatore Corporation has decided to strictly implement COVID-19 guidelines in the wake of surge in number of cases.
Speaking to reporters here on Thursday, Corporation Commissioner P. Kumaravel Pandian said that use of mask, sanitiser, pulse oximeter and temperature screening of customers at commercial establishments are a must. “Given the increase in number of cases - the daily positive case varies between 180 and 220 - the Corporation has taken a serious view of developments and therefore decided to impose fine.”
The same would hold good for commercial establishments as well. “If Corporation staff find that establishments have failed to screen customers or allowed entry to customers without mask, the first time penalty is fine and thereafter it is closure of the establishment for not less than a week.”
This would apply to all establishments, big or small, Mr. Pandian said and added that for very small establishments like tea stalls, the Corporation would come out with a practical solution.
Currently, the Corporation had not yet taken a decision on restricting the business hours of commercial establishments. Any decision it would take would be only after consulting with the District Collector, who headed the district disaster management authority.
The Commissioner also said the restriction on the number of people inside commercial establishment applied to weddings and other gatherings.
As of Thursday, the Corporation had quarantined 35 houses where there were more than three positive persons - 11 in South Zone, 10 each in North and East Zones and two each in West and Central Zones.
Mr. Pandian also said that from April 11, the Corporation would go in for mobile vaccinations. Vehicles deployed by the civic body would go to a street, vaccinate people at their place. This far, 50,227 have been vaccinated in city.
Positive persons, this time, don't have the luxury of home quarantine. For housing positive persons, the Corporation had established centres at a private university in the city outskirts and at Bharathiar University hostel. It was also looking at another in the Codissia Trade Fair Complex, he said.
As for testing people, the Commissioner said at present the civic body was lifting 2,000 - 2,500 samples a day.