Covid-19 will spike in October if there is lack of public discipline, Tamil Nadu chief secretary warns

CHENNAI: In the backdrop of opening up of more activities, Tamil Nadu chief secretary K Shanmugam on Friday said the Covid-19 will spike in October if no proper discipline is observed by the public in using masks, following social distancing norms in public places and maintaining personal hygiene.
In a letter to district collectors after a video-conference, Shanmugam said the state was still in the critical stage of the battle against Covid-19 and they should not let down the guard.
There should not be any complacency at any level. “The district administration should mount Information Education Communication to create public awareness and educate the public on the self-imposed discipline and accountability in Covid-19 control,” the top bureaucrat said.
If need arises, more containment areas could be formed. Sample collection centres should be increased in rural and urban areas if it is required, he said.
The strategy has shifted from lockdown restriction to containment zone management with effective perimeter control. The shift is from government-driven testing, isolation, treating strategy to public-driven testing, quarantine, isolation and treatment strategy, the chief secretary said.
He said the administrators should ensure strict enforcement of discipline through local bodies and police by levying fines and closure of establishments, if needed, to control the spread or as a deterrent. These are important since next two to three months are very critical due to non-availability of vaccine.
The collectors have been instructed to keep the administration in full alert to monitor the disease trend. They have to be prepared to handle any spike in the coming days.
The collectors should encourage more private hospitals to augment testing and treating facilities and provide more care centres for persons who can afford to pay, so that the pressure on government is reduced.
They should monitor the charges levied by private hospitals and ensure that the government guidelines are followed. “As far as possible, encourage asymptomatic and mild patients to take home isolation for treatment with close monitoring,” Shanmugam said.
The collectors should get prepared to relocate Covid care centres at educational institutions as these institutions are likely to be opened in near future. Close monitoring of proper disposal of biomedical waste is also important. The morale of the frontline workers should be maintained by giving them appropriate break, implementing shift methods and through other measures.
Special teams should be formed to continuously monitor the strict adherence to the standard operating procedure at workplaces to prevent the disease spread, the chief secretary said.