Besides being the capital and largest city in Tamil Nadu, Chennai has been emerging as a major hotspot for the spread of the virus in the state. The city currently has reported with more positive cases for Coronavirus in the state and the surging numbers have levied more burden to the corporation to come up with tight preventive measures to curb the spread of the virus through which the numbers at the overall stage would be lowered and contained.

With the view of gripping up the mechanisms, the Greater Chennai Corporation has created 67 cluster containment zones in the city limits to contain the spread and this number has been reported as of April 6th. According to the reports, the corporation has been creating such zones by marking the circumference around the confirmed cases who are affected by the virus and upon marking, the corporation would close off such zones by installing barricades following which the movement of the people from these areas would be strictly restricted.

Northern parts of the city have more such zones. Currently, Royapuram has more zones in the city. It has 22 containment zones that have been closed off. Following Royapuram, Thiru Vi Ka Nagar stands at second place with 11 containment zones while Tondiarpet has 9 zones and Teynampet has 5 zones whereas, as of April 6, Ambattur, Anna Nagar, Alandur, and Manali have reported with no such containment zones.

The reports stated that the identification of these zones would be followed by perimeter control. The Corporation said that the barricades are temporarily being installed in the streets that are close to the residences of the people tested positive for the virus after which the flow of the vehicles and movement of the people is restricted. Apart from mapping the zones and installing barricades, the authorities are carrying out measures of contact tracing, mass disinfection, and extensive surveillance on the people living in these containment zones.

The reports further stated that the people of these areas would put for surveillance daily with the view of ensuring that they have developed no symptoms positive for the virus and if someone in these areas found to be asymptomatic, a medical team would rush to the spot and examine them and the patients would be advised to remain under home quarantine or shifted to the isolation ward to the hospital. These zones have been set up with the medical camps and the authorities would be making continuous announcements in these zones concerning the symptoms and precautions.

These zones have been equipped with the ambulances which transport the patients related to the COVID-19 symptoms to the hospital and the people who show positive symptoms are recorded after which they would be taken for testing and hospital quarantine. Adding to that, the residences and public places in the containment zones are regularly disinfected through the measures. On April 5, Chennai has begun its three-month door-to-door survey and the health workers would survey the residents.

As of Tuesday morning, Tamil Nadu has reported with 621 cases positive for the virus and Chennai currently houses 110 virus-hit patients. On April 4, the city has reported with 88 cases while another 22 cases were added to the total count in the next two days. Royapuram has more number of cases in the city. It has 27 cases followed by Thiru Vi Ka Nagar which has 14 cases.