Making use of  lockdown 6 in TN

Tamil Nadu has extended the lockdown in the state till July 31 even as the Centre has issued guidelines for Unlock 2.0. TN’s decision comes amid a mounting case load that is pushing the health infrastructure to the brink. Although health experts advised against continuing a lockdown, the state has forged ahead as Covid-19 seeps beyond Chennai and its neighbouring districts to the southern and central parts. But it may be time for the government to heed its own advice: Don’t worry about the numbers, just follow safe practices.

The rising case load—90,167 as of Tuesday—must be seen alongside its impressive performance on testing. Tamil Nadu, as of Tuesday, had tested 11,16,622 people and is well ahead of Maharashtra, which comes second while having twice TN’s caseload. The state government focused on ramping up testing capability from March and currently has 90 testing labs, 47 of which are run by the government. Where it has faltered is in strictly adhering to the test, trace, isolate mantra of experts around the world. In the process, it lost out on the early advantages of its relatively strong health infrastructure. 

Nonetheless, the state has looked to make up lost ground in the past month. In Chennai, which has 58,327 cases, the Corporation has finally ramped up daily testing to reach 10,000 samples—double the figure it had stagnated at. The civic body has also undertaken daily fever camps to screen, test and treat patients. This initiative has been praised by the state’s expert health panel, which has recommended the model be replicated in other parts of TN. Although the effort comes a bit late, early adoption of the model in other cities may prevent them from going the ‘Chennai’ way.

Testing must also be increased in cities like Madurai, Coimbatore and Tiruchy along with boosting surveillance and screening. Alongside this is a need for a clear information and communication drive aimed at improving public understanding and altering behaviour. The state must ensure that Lockdown 6 is made good use of, so that it may be the last. Lockdowns come with great social, economic and psychological costs that are too huge to pay indefinitely.