Health secretary J. Radhakrishnan has said that districts which have not seen any case of COVID-19 should ensure that people do not forget to follow safety protocols and remain alert.
In a letter to the Collectors, Chennai Corporation Commissioner and officials of the Health Department and Medical College, Dr Radhakrishnan said it is necessary to be vigilant and follow the COVID-19 protocols.
The recent increase in cases in the Greater Chennai Corporation areas and Chengalpattu was an indirect indicator for the decrease in the level of immunity in the community, and to a lesser extent, the immune-defending ability of the Omicron sub-variant and the lineage in circulation, he said.
He called for temperature checks at entry points into workplaces, and insisted that anyone with a fever should be isolated to avoid coming into contact with others. At the hospital level, people should wear masks “because an unprovoked exposure could put others at risk”, particularly “because there is a tendency to think that COVID-19 is gone”, he said.
For the ‘Learn to live with COVID’ approach to be successful, standard public health preventive and control strategies must be embedded. He said that people should wear masks in crowded and closed places and maintain a safe distance during community lunches.
He said that persons with symptoms should get tested immediately and isolate themselves and their families till the results are out.