An effective plan to control the pandemic in Chennai

Lessons from last year and a new strategy helped the Greater Chennai Corporation manage the second COVID-19 wave

The city has once again set an example for the State and the country in containing the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, like it did during the first wave. The second wave saw a huge spike in cases, with the health infrastructure getting overwhelmed by the first week of May. However, the experience gained from the first wave, along with an efficient pandemic prevention plan put in place by the Greater Chennai Corporation helped bring things under control. Hospitals, which faced severe bed shortages at one point of time in May, have been able to breathe easy with the reduction in the intake of patients and the availability of a large number of beds. While the lockdown helped, the implementation of the ‘Revised Micro-Plan for COVID-19 Management’ by the Public Health Department from May 19 played a crucial role.