Lockdown relaxations has led to spike in virus cases now, say local civic workers

Coronavirus cases have been steadily increasing in the neighbourhood, since the past few days. For four consecutive days from Sept. 24., over 30 streets in Mylapore reported virus cases.

Local civic workers say that relaxation of lockdown in early September has led to spike in virus cases now.

Says a local civic worker attached to Ward 126, “With the re-opening of public transport more people have started going out for work. And most of them are not following social distancing. This is the main reason for increase in cases now.”

Besides, she says, people who visit small private clinics for general medical issues are also increasingly getting infected by the virus.

“According to our analysis, in the past few days, many people have got the virus after they visited private clinics for dental check or other general medical checks. So we are planning to carry out regular dis-infection at all clinics too.”

Says a civic staff, who manages virus containment at Ward 173 in Mylapore, “Although there is no virus cluster at a particular area, one or two cases are frequently popping up at different streets. In case of our Ward, several residents have got infected, after one of their colleagues got the virus at their workplace. And once a resident gets infected, virus quickly spreads to his/ her family members.”

People flouting the lockdown regulations – wearing of mask and social distancing, he says is also one of the major cause of virus spread now.

“We have been fining people who are not following these regulations. But unless the public strictly adheres to pandemic time rules, it will be difficult to contain virus spread.”