Quarantine more close contacts: Mehta to TMC

Maharashtra chief secretary Ajoy Mehta on Friday asked the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) to quarantine at least twenty close contacts of each Covid positive

Maharashtra chief secretary Ajoy Mehta on Friday asked the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) to quarantine at least twenty close contacts of each Covid positive patient, increase the number of quarantine centres, and emphasise on screening patients. Mehta was in Thane to take a stock of the situation in view of increasing Covid-19 cases in the city. He also asked to increase the area of the containment zone and ensure that restrictions are strictly implemented in these zones.

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Mehta visited various parts of the district to check the preparedness of the local bodies to handle increasing Covid cases.

A civic official said, “He expressed that increase in quarantine will help flatten the curve. If one positive case is found, at least 20 close contacts of the person should be quarantined. We will have to increase the number of quarantine and isolation centres. If more people are quarantined, the load on hospitals will also ease and only critical patients can be sent to hospitals.”

Mehta also insisted on extensive screening of slum-dwellers. “He said no one from the slums should be home-quarantined and that they should be taken to quarantine centres. The area of containment zones will also be increased and lockdown restrictions will be strictly implemented in these zones.”

Mehta also asked the corporation to have adequate stock of essential medicines.