Second wave of COVID-19 can be tackled, says senior cop in Kerala
The north Kerala district, which lacked improved healthinfrastructure compared to others in the state, had witnessedzero death.
But the relief was short-lived as fresh coronavirus caseswere reported from the district on Monday.
Four people who had arrived from Maharashtra were foundinfected with the deadly virus, commencing the second wave ofCOVID-19 in the district.
However, top police official Vijay Sakhare, whose "triplelock" strategy helped the district keep the virus at bay,said there was nothing to worry as the situation could verywell be managed by implementing the same strategy forcefully.
The triple lock involves a combination of technology andhuman surveillance and restricting movement of people in threestages.
While Lock-I envisages broader restriction of movement ofall people residing in the district, Lock-II is for peopleliving in distinct geographical areas with positive cases andthe third stage is targeted effort to keep primary andsecondary contacts of COVID-19 patient in their homes.
The IG ranking officer who was deputed by Chief MinisterPianarayi Vijayan as COVID-19 special officer of Kasaragod onMarch 23, implemented the triple lock strategy and thiseffective policing measure helped arrest the spread of thevirus.
The same strategy was implemented in neighbouring Kannurdistrict and earned positive results when it was turning tobecome another COVID-19 hotpspot. In a note prepared by Sakhare on "triple lock strategy",he spoke of the new challenges after people returning throughinter-state land borders, including those from red-zoneshave been permitted to undergo 14 day quarantine at theirhomes.
The international returnees have been asked to observemandatory quarantine in institutional centres or hotels. "Many of these evacuated persons may turn COVID positiveafter returning home. Some of them may be symptomatic carriersof COVID-19 and a few may be asymptomatic.
In order to meet these challenges and prevent spread ofinfection in community, 'triple-lock' strategy has to bescaled up," the officer said in the note.
"The new returnees to Kasaragod have to be brought underthe umbrella of Lock-III," said Sakhare, the Kochi City PoliceCommissioner who returned from Kasaragod last week aftercompletion of his special assignment.
Talking to , he said the residences of the returneesshould be monitored continuously by stationing police guardsin front of select houses, by covering residences of homequarantined people with mobile patrols, which check physicalpresence of the person at least twice a day.
This would be done by deploying drones in 'drone-beat'over these homes and by using COVID-Safety app.
Legal action should be initiated against the violatorsand their family members for endangering the lives of othersin the society, the senior IPS officer said.
Another challenge is to ensure that those people who stayat 'institutional quarantine centres' observe quarantineproperly and do not socialise with each other.
An officer at least of the rank of Sub-inspector shouldbe made in-charge of the centre. He should ensure that noperson visited any of the inmates or no inmates stepped out atany point of time.
The COVID Safety app should be installed in everyinmate's phone to ensure that the person does not violatequarantine, Sakhare said.
Similar system should be in place in hotels as well.
The hotel staff has to be trained in maintainingquarantine and ensuring that it was observed by the returnees.
Sharing his experience as the COVID-19 officer inKasaragod district, Sakhare said the results of the triplelock strategy have demonstrated that it was extremelysuccessful in containing the spread of virus.
"The success of strategy can be gauged from the fact thatit has brought weekly reporting of cases from 64 to barely 5with in the span of three weeks - a reduction of 92 per cent. In succeeding three weeks, only 5,4 and 2 positive caseswere reported and in last 11 days since 1st May, no positivecases were reported- which demonstrates the resounding successof the containment strategy," he claimed.
The last Corona positive patient of the first wave ofCOVID-19 in Kasaragod recovered on May 10 and the districtbecame COVID-free. But few hours later, the second wave of thedisease has begun and the district is prepared to meet thechallenge. TGBROH ROH