The Collectors have been advised to avoid huddling of people who have been sheltered at relief camps following Cyclone Nivar. People with COVID-19 symptoms should be shifted to the nearest government hospital, Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan has said.
“Post-Diwali and post-Nivar, fever clusters are to be contained immediately by effective containment, testing for all kinds of infection during the post-impact phase,” he said. “Ensure that the COVID fever camps and mobile medical units and the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram health teams are suitably relocated in the post-impact areas of the affected districts. We can have both static and mobile camps to ensure effective utilisation of the medical teams,” he said.
Urging officials to remain alert to the spread of infections and air and water-borne diseases, he has included, in his note to the Collectors and the Commissioner of Greater Chennai Corporation, prevention of COVID-19, dengue, the spread of E. Coli through faecal or sewage contamination, cholera and typhoid.
Mr. Radhakrishnan has advised the officials to ensure draining of floodwaters that may have entered sumps and watertanks. People should be provided with bleaching powder to clean the submerged sumps and watertanks and instructed not to use the water. This would help to prevent water-borne diseases, he has explained.
The local bodies should be co-opted to spray bleaching powder. He has urged the officials to check chlorination levels. Food safety officials should be used to check the food.
