Besides organising special drives to test the public for COVID-19 infection to ensure early medical intervention, steps have been taken to boost the immunity of the people against the viral infection by giving them allopathic and siddha formulations, Secretary for Higher Education and Monitoring Officer for Tirunelveli district M. Apoorva said.
Speaking to reporters after discussing the pandemic situation in the district with Collector V. Vishnu and other senior officials on Saturday, Ms. Apoorva informed that 5-pronged strategy – creating awareness, making the public to wear mask and ensure physical distancing by slapping fine on violators, vaccination, treatment and strengthening the immunity of the public – was discussed in the meeting. Against the backdrop of menacingly increasing COVID-19 cases, it had been decided to put in place tough measures not to trouble the public, but to save them from the new viral infection.
Those who have the symptoms should visit the testing centres to get screened so as to get the right line of treatment on an early note. Distribution of ‘kabasurakudineer’ and ‘athimadhurakudineer’ would be made available everywhere to strengthen immunity and natural supplements like zinc, multi vitamin tablets, ‘aswaganda’, ‘amukkara’ chooranam will be given even at the time of test at the test centre itself to boost immunity instead of waiting for the results.
To make this drive more effective, all eligible persons should vaccinate as it would act as shield against COVID-19, she noted.
Ms. Apoorva said the district had sufficient number of beds and treatment facilities for the COVID-19 positive patients and informed that the drive against the violators of the norms had been intensified from Saturday onwards.
Mr. Vishnu said while 2,761 beds in various hospitals across the district are now ready to receive the COVID-19 positive patients, more number of beds will be added to this pool based on demand. Even as the positivity rate stands at 6.30%, vaccination has been administered to 44,207 persons through 64 government hospitals and primary health centres across the district and 20 authorised private hospitals.
“We’ve collected ₹10.78 lakh as fine from the COVID-19 protocol violators since March 1, 2021,” Mr. Vishnu said.
Ms. Apoorva said the Indian Medical Association had been alerted to monitor the hospitals that were exorbitantly charging for COVID-19 treatment and initiate appropriate action against the erring hospitals.
Commissioner of Police, Tirunelveli City, T.S. Anbu, Superintendent of Police, Tirunelveli District, N. Manivannan, Corporation Commissioner G. Kannan and senior officials from the departments of revenue, public health and rural development participated in the meeting.
Thoothukudi
Speaking to reporters in Thoothukudi after chairing the anti-COVID-19 operations review meeting, Designated Officer and Commissioner for Treasury and Accounts Kumar Jayanth said everyone above the age of 45 should get vaccinated for COVID-19 as it was being done at the Thoothukudi Medical College Hospital, seven primary health centres and select private hospitals across the district to check the spread of the viral infection. The public should cooperate with the government in this exercise by strictly adhering to the COVID-19 protocols stipulated by the Department of Public Health.
Besides vaccinating, the people should ensure physical distancing everywhere while wearing mask and cleaning the hands frequently with sanitiser, he said.
Mr. Kumar Jayanth, accompanied by Dr. Senthil Raj, Corporation Commissioner Sharanya Ari and Sub-Collector, Thoothukudi Simranjeet Singh inspected the vaccination at Thoothukudi Medical College Hospital, and the Urban Primary Health Centres at Ganesh Nagar and Mullakkaadu.
Meanwhile, the Thoothukudi District Police stated a drive against those refused to maintain physical distancing and wear masks from Saturday onwards. While 2,461 persons were fined for not wearing masks, ₹500 each fine was slapped on 52 persons who did not maintain physical distancing even as they were gathering in public places.
“In all, ₹4.92 lakh was collected from 2,461 persons (₹200 each) for not wearing mask and ₹26,000 was collected from 52 persons (₹500 each) for not maintaining physical distancing. We want to make it clear that slapping fine on the public is not our objective. We, in a bid to control the rapidly spreading viral infection and save the public from the pandemic, enforce the COVID-19 norms and hence we appeal to the public to cooperate with the official machinery to check the spread of COVID-19,” said S. Jayakumar, Superintendent of Police, Thoothukudi.