The Calcutta Municipal Corporation will give the medicine hydroxychloroquine to traders in Mechhua, Posta and Burrabazar from Thursday, Firhad Hakim, the chairman of the civic body’s board of administrators, said on Wednesday.

“We will give hydroxychloroquine to those who have no cardiac issues. Doctors will remain present when the medicine is given,” Hakim said.

The ICMR has said “the drug has to be given only on the prescription of a registered medical practitioner” and that “asymptomatic healthcare workers involved in the care of suspected or confirmed cases of Covid-19” and “asymptomatic household contacts of laboratory confirmed cases” can take it.

On Wednesday, police met traders of the city’s largest milk market in Chitpore and those of Notunbazar, another wholesale market in the area.

Milk traders have been asked to ensure that milk trucks reach the market in batches, the police said. Notunbazar traders have been asked to keep only three of the 12 market gates open.

The milk market and Notunbazar is in the Jorasanko-Jorabagan-Burrabazar belt, which has reported many cases.

“We are allocating different times to trucks…. But we have to also ensure that trucks are able to deliver milk in time,” Rajesh Singh, president of the milk market traders’ association, said.