Lock people in homes, deliver essentials at doorstep: Chennai corporation

Lock the people inside their homes, shut down the non-essential stores and deliver the essential items to the doorsteps of the people while surveying and identifying potential suspects for virus infection are the measures taken by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) to contain the spread of coronavirus.

With people going out on the pretext of buying groceries and vegetables, the GCC has launched mobile shops to sell the items.

The GCC along with Tamil Nadu Traders' Association has set up mobile shops. Under the scheme about 5,000 tricycles and 2,000 small motor vehicles will be allowed to sell vegetables and groceries across the city.

This is expected to reduce the crowding of retail outlets-without maintaining the social distance -- and the risk of spreading coronavirus, said an official not wanting to be quoted.

Individual traders or companies wishing to participate in the Mobile Market Drive can apply for passes at the GCC's zonal offices.

However, the mobile shops are not substitute for the retail outlets.

The government has allowed grocery and vegetable shops to be open between 6 a.m. and 1 p.m.

In order to have an eye on those who had returned from Covid-19 affected countries, the GCC started pasting 'home quarantine notices' outside their homes.

Regular checks are also made about the health condition of those foreign returnees.

The GCC also has started surveying households to collect data about the inmates health status. About 16,000 people has been tasked for this exercise.

If the survey reveals some people having cold or fever, then the details are given to the health professionals who in turn visit and check for coronavirus symptoms and wherever necessary test samples are taken and the persons asked to remain in home quarantine.

Out of the 15 GCC Zones, only two (Manali and Ambattur) have not reported any Covid-19 patients.

Traffic on the road on which a Covid-19 patient residence is located is controlled with barricades.

According to GCC Commissioner G. Prakash, the Corona Monitoring App enables a resident with symptoms like fever, dry cough can take a selfie and send it.

The message will reach the GCC server and gets geo-tagged and the health officials can do the monitoring.