Give priority to the elderly, speed up Covid tests: Tamil Nadu CM

CHENNAI: In the backdrop of the state surpassing four lakh positive cases and 7,000 deaths, chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami has directed the district collectors to give priority to the elderly people and those with co-morbidities while doing RT-PCR tests. He has also asked them to expedite the test results. The state tested 80,988 samples on Saturday, a record in the five months of Covid management.
In his four-hour-long video conference with the district collectors, the chief minister reviewed the districts one by one. Adequate awareness should be created for those with symptoms of fever, cold, dry cough, wheezing, tiredness, head ache and loss of smell and taste reach hospitals in 24 hours, he said. "The chief minister expressed concerns over spike in Covid cases in Coimbatore, Cuddalore, Salem, Vellore, Chengalpet and Tiruvallur districts. They have to adopt a focus strategy to bring down the cases," said a senior official. These districts have to map the affected areas, hold fever camps and mount surveillance involving non-government organisations and tests to clean up the affected regions, said the official.
Government sources said the chief minister was considering more relaxations to revive the economy. It needs to be clubbed with strict action to curb the disease. Districts like Cuddalore, Tiruvannamalai and Tiruvarur were told to increase tests because the positivity rate was high in those areas. Certain districts were asked to set up screening centres to send the symptomatic to Covid hospitals and health centres and asymptomatic to Covid care centres..
The state government has spent 7,162 crore towards Covid control, treatment and relief measures so far. "Spike in cases in the western belt is attributed to the opening of industries. The chief minister was particular about the workers getting tested and the factories being visited by a team of labour department and local body authorities," another official said.
The government feels that abolishing e-pass and movement of public transport would complicate the disease control measures. The chief minister is also strongly advocating the use of e-pass to trace the contacts. On Saturday, a specific direction was issued to Greater Chennai Corporation to put in place measures to control hike in cases once e-pass relaxations are announced. While unveiling "Unlock 4.0" guidelines, the Union home ministry said there "shall be no restriction" on inter-state and intra-state movement of persons and goods. No separate permission/approval/e-permit will be required for such movements. But the state government does not subscribe to this thought.
Quoting study reports, Palaniswami sought to convey that the state was recovering speedily from the economic impact due to Covid-19, with various welfare measures being implemented by the state.