Coronavirus in Chennai: 15 more boys test positive for Covid-19 in govt reception home

CHENNAI: A reception home for children run by the Directorate of Social Defence at Royapuram in Chennai has turned into a new hotspot for Covid-19 as 15 more children tested positive for the viral disease on Saturday.
In the last one week, 50 people, including 43 children, tested positive at the home.
According to sources, the first case of Covid-19 was reported on May 30. Within a week, the number of cases spiralled to 50.
As many as 56 children -- orphans, children of single parents and kids from economically poor background -- are housed at the reception home. Twenty-nine staff work in the building. Child labourers from West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Bihar are also among the children at the government home. All kids are aged between eight and 17 years.
“Though we have taken precautionary measures such as distribution of hand sanitizers and soap for the children and educated them on self-hygiene, they have contracted the virus. We are clueless about the source of infection,” said a source. The source added that social distancing could not be followed inside the home.
Twenty children were admitted to Communicable Diseases Hospital in Tondiarpet on June 4. Nine were shifted to hospital on June 5.
“Today, after 15 more children test positive, all of them were shifted to the designated hospital in Tondiarpet. Seven of the 29 staff, who contracted the virus, were also admitted to hospital,” the source said.
Apart from this, three more children were taken to hospital with symptoms of Covid-19. The remaining children were shifted to a government quarantine facility in Vysarapadi.
A sanitary worker was infected and was admitted to hospital, while three others have not turned up for work for the last four days.
Until June 4, when 20 of the children tested positive, none of the fever surveillance officers and health department officials visited the home. With no transportation facilities, the officials at the home took children for tests on two-wheelers.
“There is no vehicle at the home to take the children to hospital in case of any medical emergency,” added the source.