Thiruvananthapuram: COVID-19 patients in densely populated areas should be admitted to either hospitals or first-line COVID treatment centres (FLCTC), the Director of Panchayats instructed on Sunday.
Additionally, the family members of the patients should be subjected to RT-PCR test. The director also warned of initiating stringent action against panchayat secretaries failing to reorganize panchayat and ward-level committees.
The directives were issued in a bid to mitigate the spiralling spread of COVID-19. Panchayat and ward-level committees are responsible for implementing restrictions and anti-COVID measures.
The director also directed to initiate steps to declare areas with a high number of COVID-19 patients as containment or micro-containment segments.
Local-level authorities have also been asked to ensure only the restricted number of people attend weddings, funerals and other functions. COVID appropriate ‘Break the Chain’ protocol should be strictly enforced in malls, movie halls, auditoria and marketplaces.
Panchayat-, ward-level committees should ensure RT-PCR test for guest workers. Labour camps, with confirmed COVID-19 patients, should be demarcated as clusters. Such clusters should be kept under surveillance, besides conducting awareness drives.
The director also asked panchayats to collect and upload test positivity rate on to the COVID Jagratha portal. Panchayat secretaries would be responsible for ensuring the authenticity of the data uploaded on the portal.
Geo-mapping should be conducted in areas with a high number of COVID-19 cases. Priority should be accorded to ensure the safety and security of the elderly, those under treatment under the Santhwanam project, those with lifestyle diseases, differently-abled, coastal population, slum dwellers, inmates of care homes, workers under the employment guarantee scheme, Kudumbashree workers, and guest labourers.
The director also instructed to ensure that people in these sections undergo tests for coronavirus.
