TIRUVANNAMALAI: In the wake of two health department officials testing positive for COVID-19 at Cheyyar in Tiruvannamalai district, the authorities have taken up contact tracing on a war footing.
Close on the heels of a 58-year-old health inspector involved in COVID-19 prevention activities testing positive, a block health supervisor was also found to be positive on Thursday.
Since both had worked closely with colleagues and officers of other departments, it has raised concerns among staff of government departments and agencies in Cheyyar Health Division.
Aggressive contact tracing has been initiated to identify contacts including family members, neighbours and those who worked with them, besides people in areas they had visited as part of their work.
“We have identified 275 contacts of the health inspector and block health supervisor so far. The process is still going on,” Dr Azitha, Deputy Director (in-charge) of Health Services, told The New Indian Express on Friday.
All the staff and doctors of primary health centres falling under Navalpakkam block, where the block health supervisor worked, have been subjected to tests and are advised to keep themselves under home quarantine.
Three family members of the official were quarantined at their home in Kancheepuram.
Azitha added, “Secondary contacts of the two officials are still being traced.”
Tiruvannamalai district has reported 14 cases so far. Of them, one has been discharged, four are under treatment at the isolation ward while nine have been quarantined at the Govt Tiruvannamalai Medical College Hospital (GTMCH).
Meanwhile, Tiruvannamalai district collector KS Kandasamy has made a fervent appeal to people in the district to stay safe at home so that the progress of the viral infection can be checked.