Chennai, Dec 26 (BPNS)

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) will be reopening some of its Covid -19 care centres to prevent spread of Covid cases. Urban community centres in Injambakkam in Sholingallur Zone and Manjambakkam in Manali will be converted into Covid care centres, sources in the corporation informed BPNS.

The GCC will be planning 200 beds in these two centres and if necessary the Covid care centre at Chennai Trade Centre in Nandambakkam that can accommodate 1000 patients will also be opened. The GCC has made preliminary arrangements in their own premises as Schools and Colleges are opened and patients will not be able to be accommodated in such places.

A senior official of the GCC while speaking to BPNS said, “In the past fifteen days, areas like Mahalingapuram and Nungambakkam have seen rising Covid -19 clusters and hence the new developments.”

There were also reports that private hospitals were referring home quarantine for all people who have tested positive and according to GCC, this has led to the whole family testing positive. This has prompted the GCC to intervene in the matter and to communicate to the private hospitals.

GCC official said, “If people above 50 are placed under home quarantine, the complications will be more and if treated in a hospital, this can be easily overcome and the patient cured properly.”

The GCC has also written letters to private hospitals to treat Covid patients in the hospitals during quarantine period to prevent cross spread among family members.

Gagan Singh Bedi, Commissioner, Greater Chennai Corporation in a letter to private hospitals said that if the hospitals discharge Covid- 19 patients before the end of the quarantine period, they should inform GCC so that effective home quarantine is implemented.

GCC has also directed Private hospitals to report the corporation on those being treated for Covid like symptoms.