Police tracing ‘missing’ COVID-19 patients in Chennai

After over 270 coronavirus patients went 'missing' in the metropolis, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has sought the help of the Chennai Police to trace them.

Most of these patients are either not staying in the addresses given by them or have mentioned the wrong address.

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After the issue came to light on Saturday, the Chennai Police have so far traced about 100 people and have intensified their efforts to find out the whereabouts of remaining Covid-19 positive patients. Sources in the GCC told DH that these people were not traceable despite efforts by the staff to locate them.

Read: Complete lockdown in Chennai, parts of 3 districts from June 19

Chennai City Police Commissioner A K Viswanathan said the Cyber Crime department was probing the issue and all efforts were being taken to ensure that every single patient who is “missing” is traced. As complaints emerged, the GCC had last week mandated all private labs to collect copies of their Aadhar cards while collecting their swab samples.

Sources said the issue came to light after there was a mismatch noticed in numbers. “These are mostly asymptomatic patients and they are not traceable. Every effort to trace them by the field staff has failed,” the source said.

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Another source said most of these people have either given the wrong address or are not living in the address which they have mentioned in the form used to collect their swab samples.

“Some seem to have left for their native places without informing anyone. Some had switched off their phone numbers as well,” the source said.

The development also comes close on the heels of the GCC acting against 40 Covid-19 positive patients who jumped quarantine by stepping out of their homes. This also comes days after the Tamil Nadu government was accused of “under-reporting” COVID-19 deaths.