Village teams check arrivals in T’malai

“It has also resulted in the district getting immediately Rs 5 crore of the Rs 26 crore it sought for COVID related work,” officials said. “Those who arrive with or without e-pass are immediately tested. They are sent home if negative or admitted to hospital if they are positive. Similarly the control room (manned by 50 persons) receive information of those entering the district from the VVCs, who bring the person to testing centres which saves officials’ time and unnecessary travel. The entire family and neighbours of such persons are also tested, thus effectively ensuring there is no spread of virus,” Collector KS Kandasamy said.

On the effectiveness of VVCs, an official on condition of anonymity said, “village presidents were warned that they could forfeit their post and become ward members if they allowed any patient to slip through.”

Names and contacts of revenue, health and police official, including the volunteer who ditributes ‘kabasura kudineer’ are put at containment zones. “Distribution of ‘kabasura’ is done by a upper caste person to avoid the unwillingness of some to accept it from a person of lower caste,” the collector said. Such measures have shown results as after 45,000 tests the district has 1700 COVID positives and 3 deaths, whereas neighbouring Vellore district after testing 28,590 samples reported 1355 COVID positives and 11 deaths.