TN to intensify restrictions to contain COVID-19: Chief Secretary
The Tamil Nadu government saidon Saturday it would implement necessary restrictions as perrequirement following a spike in COVID-19 cases.
Tamil Nadu, since March 5, has been witnessing a risein fresh coronavirus cases and on April 2, the state hadrecorded 3,290 new infections, pushing the tally to 8,92,780and deaths to 12,750.
Chief secretary Rajeev Ranjan took part in a reviewmeeting chaired by union cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba alongwith senior officials on Friday.
In an official release, Ranjan said the governmentwas following all the steps as per the guidelines framed bythe Centre towards controlling the spread of the virus.
The impact of the virus was closely monitored on adaily basis and restrictions would be intensified as per therequirement, he said.
Ranjan said the cabinet secretary during the reviewmeeting issued necessary guidelines to 11 States which hadreported a surge in new COVID-19 infections.
Accordingly, it was decided in the meeting to bringdown the COVID-19 positivity rate in states which had reportedover 5 per cent.
In Tamil Nadu, though the positivity rate has beenbelow 5 per cent, it was decided to adopt increased andaggressive testing in places which report higher COVID-19infections.
Steps are being taken to identify those people whowere in contact with primary contacts and treat them inisolation if they had contracted the contagion, he said.
Noting that residential complexes reporting more thanthree cases were declared as micro containment zones, hesaid till April 2 there were 846 such zones in the state.
He said there was sufficient amount of beds,ventilators, medicines and personal protective equipment gear.
To treat a COVID-19 patient without any delay,services of 108 ambulances was also utilised, he said,addingpeople should adhere to the COVID-19 protocol laid down by thegovernment. Since March 16 the state has collected Rs 2.58 croreas penalties from people violating the protocol.
On vaccination, Ranjan said those eligible (above 45)should get vaccinated.
Till April 2, as many as 31.75 lakh people,including healthcare and frontline workers besides thoseengaged in poll related works and above 45, were vaccinated.
Tamil Nadu has received 54.74 lakh vaccine doses fromthe Centre as of today, he said.
On deaths caused by the virus, Ranjan said measureswere taken to ensure that COVID-19 fatalities remain less inTamil Nadu.
The government has issued a circular to bothgovernment and private run hospitals to follow the treatmentprocedures as suggested by an expert committee, comprisingmedical experts from the All India Institute of MedicalSciences, towards reducing the deaths caused by COVID-19, headded.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Federal staff and is auto-published from a syndicated feed.)
