Former Indian Bank cricketer L. V. L. Prasad has been a resident of D Block of the Shanthi Flats on Appu Street for close to 30 years now. This is the community of some 96 apartments in Mylapore where one person was first tested positive.
Now, that story has changed course, for the better.
Speaking to the Mylapore Times, Prasad said that the TV channel staffer in the E block was taken to MMC for testing.
“While there were rumours of him having tested positive, it came to light that it was positive under the defective Rapid Test Kit (RTK) and that in a subsequent test conducted with the RTK, he has now tested negative. There is a general peace and calm among the community members.”
Prasad says that the patient has even spoken to the Health Minister and has been co-operating well with the officials. Since a couple of others in his organization had tested positive, he is being kept under quarantine for 21 days at the MMC as a proactive safety measure.
He will have to undergo a few more tests during this period and test negative in all those before he can come back home.
Following the initial news of him having tested positive, 10 others in the E block of Shanthi Flats were also called in for testing.
All of them tested negative and have come back home, says Prasad.
He says that while the residents were initially worried when news spread of the E Block member having tested positive, information on him and others in the E Block having tested negative has brought cheer among the residents.
The residents are particularly appreciative of the efforts of the government in sanitizing the flats each day since the news broke.
“The Corporation officials have been here every day cleaning up the place. All of us are very happy with the way they have been communicating to us. Two police officials have been posted round the clock. We were being allowed to walk out to buy milk and other essential commodities after providing our flat details and our phone number. Vehicles are not allowed to be taken outside. Also, all visitors / guests have been barred entry into the flats.”
However, Prasad, who is on night duty at theService Branch, Indian Bank (near Ethiraj College) has been restrained from going to work as there is a restriction on the resident members of the flats going out of the area till May 18 as a precautionary measure.
A couple of his friends here, working in the railways and insurance have also been restrained from going to work.
- Report by S. Prabhu
