Thickly-populated Selvapuram is Coimbatore’s biggest cluster

COIMBATORE: Selvapuram has emerged as the biggest cluster in Coimbatore with close to 100 cases officially declared so far and is continuing to grow.
In the last week alone, Selvapuram, a thickly populated locality with a mix of working class and business community, has reported more than 60 cases. These are just official figures. Health department sources say there are at least 50 more Covid-19 cases which will be declared in batches in the coming days.What has come as a cause of deep concern is that this cluster is spreading to nearby localities too.
“Selvapuram is a challenge, because it’s thickly populated. We are stepping up our efforts to contain the spread here,’’ deputy director of health services G Ramesh Kumar said.
Selvapuram was spared from Covid onslaught in the first wave of April–May, and saw its first case only on June 12, when a 24-year-old man transiting through the city tested positive. He was dismissed as an imported case, but within days cases started surging in the locality.
Now, Telugu Street has about 10 cases and Sullivan Street six cases while Ayyappa Nagar has the highest of 50 cases.
In Chetti Street, four people – AIADMK MLA Amman Arjunan and three of his family members - tested positive. It was during contract tracing after he tested positive, the health authorities found 13 people from the neighbouring Ayyappa Nagar test positive on July 1.
On June 6, 34 people from one gold smithery in Ayyappa Nagar tested positive. The cluster from gold smiths on the road has now grown to 60 officially, but sources say the number of Covid positive patients are double and are likely to be declared in the coming days. “From gold smitheries, cases have started spreading to gold outlets on Raja Street, Gandhipuram, Big Bazaar Street and Ukkadam,” the official said.
Collector K Rajamani who visited the locality a few days back was visibly annoyed. “There are 100-odd buildings in each street, with 10x10 ft rooms, each of which have 10 people working inside,” he said. “It is impossible to maintain any sort of social distancing and masks can’t protect at that level of proximity,” he added.
The corporation and health department instantly understood that “do not touch what others have touched” policy would not work here. “First four people touch one piece of jewellery that they work on, touch and lean on the same walls while walking, leaning and climbing. Since they were all asymptomatic, they must have had severe fomite and aerosol transmission,” said deputy director of public health Dr G Ramesh Kumar.
Civic body officials are now on overdrive to contain the growth of this cluster as soon as possible. “Besides shutting down gold smithies, we have distributed immunity boosters, closed off entry and exit into Ayyappa Nagar, Ashok Nagar and a portion of Raja Street. We have also conducted fever clinics in the area and are doing door-to-door surveillance to check for symptomatic patients or those who may have been in contact with earlier positive patients,” said a corporation official. “We hope that in 14 days we can prevent further spread and contain the cluster like we did at Chinniampalayam and R G Pudur,” he added