Chennai Corporation to paste notices on houses with quarantined patients

Chennai

Earlier, the civic body was pasting quarantine stickers at houses of those who had returned from foreign countries and other states, as they were kept under home isolation for 28 days irrespective of whether they tested positive or not. According to the new notices, positive persons should not come out. The notice also warned the quarantined persons of police action if they violate the rules. Presently, around 3,000 COVID-19 patients are kept under home quarantine.

“The notices were printed only a few days ago and they have been sent to respective zonal offices. We are yet to start pasting the notices. Once the senior officials give orders, we will start pasting them in one or two days,” a zonal-level civic official said.

As of now, the Chennai Corporation is sending COVID-19 positive patients, who are without symptoms, to COVID care centres. However, positive persons, whose houses are suitable for home quarantine with a separate room and bathroom are being kept under home quarantine.

“But, there are complaints from the neighbours that some of the home quarantined persons are coming out of their houses. The notices will prevent them from coming out. Quarantined persons and residents in the buildings should not come out for 14 days,” he added.

Meanwhile, the civic body had relaxed containment zone norms to allow residents to perform their daily routines several days ago. Only the houses or buildings, from where positive cases are reported are being converted into containment zones, leaving the entire street to function normally.

On the other hand, the civic body has also prepared a draft police complaint and circulated the same to sanitary officers and sanitary inspectors. If any positive persons or residents in the containment buildings venture out, the sanitary officer or sanitary inspector of the concerned division will file a police complaint. The draft complaint requests the police to invoke Section 3 of The Epidemic Diseases Act 1897, section 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 269 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of Indian Penal Code.