Balan warns of community spread

‘Several persons in home quarantine have violated norms’

A.K. Balan, Minister for Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes, has warned the people to main extra vigil to forestall community spread of the coronavirus in the district.

“As a district sharing the main State border with Tamil Nadu, Palakkad is highly vulnerable. Special attention and enhanced awareness is required,” Mr. Balan said here on Monday.

With the strengthening of public transport in the district, community spread is likely to increase. “Within the last four days, we have had 32 new COVID-19 cases. It shows how vulnerable we are for community spread,” he said.

He indicated that Palakkd would become the first district in the State to witness community spread of COVID-19 if enhanced vigil was not taken.

He said that the infection of health workers further indicated the district’s vulnerability. He said 95 per cent of the people who returned from other States were through Palakkad district.

Several people who were supposed to be remaining at home in quarantine were found to have violated the norms. “If you continue to break the quarantine norms, the district is soon going to see a community spread,” he said.

District Collector D. Balamurali accompanied Mr. Balan.