Koyambedu Market, One of TN’s Biggest COVID-19 Clusters, Shut Down

Koyambedu wholesale vegetable and fruit market in Chennai has become the next biggest cluster of COVID-19 cases.

The Koyambedu wholesale market in Chennai has become the next biggest cluster of COVID-19 cases reported in Tamil Nadu. Representative image.

(Photo: PTI)

The Koyambedu wholesale market in Chennai has become the next biggest cluster of COVID-19 cases reported in Tamil Nadu.

The highest single day spike ever was recorded in the state on Monday, 4 May, with 527 COVID-19 positive cases, of which 377 were males and 150 were females.

A large number of the new cases are linked to the Koyambedu market, stated the media bulletin released by the state health department.

The market has been shut down temporarily and all shops have been shifted to Tiruvallur and other locations in the city.

The fruit market has already been shifted to Madhavaram bus terminus.

The total tally of cases in the state has gone up to 3,550.

The wholesale market in Chennai had detected 113 persons, 41 primary and 54 secondary cases as on Saturday, 3 May. By Sunday, the numbers rose to 360, said sources.

The vegetable and fruit market is the primary supplier for markets throughout Chennai and a number of vendors from neighbouring districts Cuddalore, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Ariyalur, Perambalur and Kancheepuram also bring in produce.

A Deputy Commissioner of Police in Chennai has also tested positive for COVID-19. The officer was supervising crowd control measures at the Koyambedu market and was also inspecting the vendors.

Nearly 13,000 persons were tested on Monday. The state has tested over 1,53,489 persons so far.

There are almost 3,600 vegetable, fruit, flower and grain shops in the market complex. Several Swiggy and Dunzo delivery men also frequent the market.

Greater Chennai Corporation official and special nodal officer J Radhakrishnan visited the market complex on Monday morning.

Sources said the state government is tracing contact history of vendors and also of their families to ensure they are tested and quarantined – more than 8,000 people, including vendors, truck drivers, dealers, farmers and staff.

For the last four days, the state has been reporting over 250 COVID-19 positive cases. The state government has explained that they have increased their testing capacity and so the state has been reporting a huge number of cases everyday.

It is also important to note that these markets supply to several locations across the country, which also puts people in other states at risk.