Lockdown extension in TN hinges on expert advice, chance for

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Thursday asserted that a decision on extending the lockdown will be taken after getting expert advice and taking into account the increase in the number of coronavirus positive cases. Palaniswami, after a consultative meeting with a dozen government panels set up to tackle COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu cautioned that there is a chance for the infection to progress to community transmission stage and appealed to people to cooperate for effective implementation of curbs considering the gravity of the contagion.

Speaking to reporters at the Secretariat, he said a decision on extension of lockdown depended on a couple of factors. "A decision will be taken considering the status of the disease...it is contagious and the number of cases are on the rise and as of now 738 people are infected and these aspects will be factored in," he said answering a question.

The Chief Minister's pointer towards the steady rise in the number of cases is seen as a hint that the government might considering prolonging lockdown. "A 19-member committee of medical experts has been set up and their advice will be solicited and also the government 12 panels on tackling COVID-19 scenario will be consulted and then a decision will be taken," he said.

To a question, he said: "We are now in stage two, there is a chance for progression into stage three and the government is taking all steps to confine the infection to stage two." On testing more people, he said: "We have bought four lakh rapid test kits for swift testing," adding in the first phase, family members of positive people will be tested and then their contacts and further it shall cover the localities of those affected. Tonight, as many as 50,000 rapid kits will arrive and the Centre has assured giving 20,000 kits, he said.

"Order has been issued to procure 2,500 ventilators and 1.30 lakh PCR test kits (the RT-PCR reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction test kits)," he added. Days ago, Palaniswami had said that one lakh test kits have been ordered from China and it will arrive on Thursday.

The Chief Minister announced that seven lakh members of 12 welfare boards including those for fishermen, village temple priests, and ulemas besides 1,20,200 workers of cracker factories in the State will also receive Rs 1,000 cash assistance. The already announced Rs 1,000 relief for rice ration card holders has been disbursed to 1,93,82,420 of them out of the total 2,01,46,993 beneficiaries which is a 96.30 per cent coverage so far, he said.

As many as 19,464 migrant construction labourers have been provided free essential commodities including rice and cooking oil and the rest will be given the assistance in a couple of days, he said.PTI VGN SS SS PTI PTI.