Collect more samples or face action: Corpn to staff

Details of coronavirus spread in State according to TN Health and Family Welfare department

CHENNAI: Field level workers of the Greater Chennai Corporation are literally pleading with residents to give samples for testing after the top brass at the civic body warned of action against sanitary inspectors if they failed to increase sample collection achieve the daily target. This measure is part of the aggressive efforts to bring down COVID-19 cases in the city, besides focusing on cracking down on those violating norms like wearing masks and maintaining social distance.

According to the instruction circulated among the civic body officials’ WhatsApp group, several sanitary inspectors, especially those working in zones like Anna Nagar, Thiru Vi Ka Nagar and Ambattur, are not collecting enough samples.

“The head office has warned of action if we fail to increase sample collection. We are begging with the residents to give their samples for testing. If we fail to reach the target, we will be called for a ‘meeting’ at the head office,” lamented a sanitary inspector.

Though the number of active cases in the city has gone below 10,000 earlier this week, the civic body is continuing to test around 12,000 samples every day. Soon after the lockdown restrictions were relaxed, the Corporation had stopped taking samples from inter-district travellers. Also, samples are being collected from those returning from abroad and other states only if they show any symptoms.

“Already, orders have been issued not to take samples from contacts of the positive persons unless they show any symptom. After announcing not to take samples from contacts, they are now asking us to increase samples,” the sanitary inspector added.

Apart from asking field officials to increase the number of samples collected each day, the civic body has also asked them to concentrate on imposing penalties against violators of masks and social distancing.