COVID-19: TN gears up to tackle virus, quarantines 1973 travellers at home

In an attempt to keep the deadly COVID-19 at bay, the Tamil Nadu government has quarantined 1,793 at home following the screening of 1,74,880 flyers at the Chennai International Airport since February 17. Besides, 15 more suspected cases have been  isolated in a hospital.

According to the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, until Sunday (March 15), 88 samples were taken from air passengers and sent for testing. 85 tested negative, one tested positive and the results for the remaining two samples are yet to be received.

But even in the case of the man who tested positive, he was moved out of the isolation ward of the government hospital after he tested negative twice with 24-hours.

Meanwhile, the state government has advised the general public to adhere to the health advisories and avoid congregation.

Invoking powers under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, the state health department, on Sunday, passed an order under the Tamil Nadu COVID-19 Regulations 2020, empowering the health officials to forcibly quarantine or isolate anybody refusing to comply with the direction.

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The order also empowers district collectors to take a call on shutting schools and sealing a particular area including streets, villages or the city if COVID-19 cases are reported from the region. It also mandates all the hospitals in the State including the private hospitals to inform all suspected cases of COVID-19 to the government.

Issuing a travel advisory the government called upon the public to refrain from travelling to China, Hong Kong, Republic of Korea, Italy, Iran, France, Spain and Germany.

Also, theaters in 16 districts bordering Kerala have been shut until further orders over COVID-19 fears.

Meanwhile, social media was abuzz over the conflicting views of the chief minister and the health minister.

While Vijayabaskar told the media that a person can get treated for COVID-19 from a private hospital but only after getting himself checked in a government hospital, the chief minister, later, called upon the people of the state to get treated in the nearest government hospital should they display symptoms of the deadly disease.

It is to be noted that guidelines the world over underlines the need to get in touch with a government hospital; over the phone first before visiting the hospital.