Lockdown back in Chennai, 3 TN districts till Jun 30
CHENNAI: Three days after the state government told the Madras high court that there would be no lockdown, Tamil Nadu on Monday announced a lockdown from June 19 to 30 in its worst affected districts, including Chennai, after an expert panel warned the government that the state has hit its peak, but may hit another if measures aren’t followed immediately.
CHENNAI:THREE days after the state government told the Madras High Court that there would be no lockdown and threatened criminal action against people spreading such rumours, Tamil Nadu on Monday announced a lockdown from June 19 to 30 in its worst affected districts, after an expert panel warned the government that the state has hit its peak, but may hit another if strict measures aren’t followed.
On Monday, a panel of 19 medical experts advising the Tamil Nadu government on the coronavirus pandemic met chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, senior ministers and bureaucrats at the secretariat for the fifth time since the lockdown began in March. Chief Scientist at WHO Soumya Swaminathan joined the meeting over video conference. The panel, which comprises Chennai-based National Institute of Epidemiology deputy director Dr Prabhdeep Kaur and Dr V Ramasubramanian, and infectious diseases expert at Chennai’s Apollo Hospitals among others, told the government that the spread of the infection in Tamil Nadu is at its peak now and the number of cases will gradually come down.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, panel members said they warned Tamil Nadu could have a second wave, as it has been observed in China, where at least 43 new cases Covid-19 were recorded in Beijing last week.
“In the past three weeks, there has been an increase in the positivity rate of the infection in these four districts and in the last two weeks, there is a slight increase in deaths too,” Kuganantham told HT. “To avoid an alarming situation we had to go ahead with this strategy. We need the support of the community to fight an epidemic or a pandemic. Else we have to press regulations.” The panel has asked the government to increase testing and manpower and intensify containment and quarantine measures.
Following the meeting, Palaniswami held a cabinet meeting later in the day and announced another lockdown for Chennai and the three adjoining districts of Chengalpattu, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram. Till June 15, these four district accounted for 83.69% of the state’s total caseload. Chennai alone accounts for 71.49% of all cases in the state.
In the new lockdown, flights and trains services will continue, but autos and taxis can only ply for essential services and medical emergencies in the four districts.