Additional Commissioner of Police, Traffic, M. Kannan on Monday said even though lockdown restrictions have been removed by the authorities, the public should not assume that the COVID-19 pandemic was over.

Mr. Kannan had tested positive for COVID-19 two weeks ago. He was the seventh IPS officer to test positive for the virus in the city. Along with Mr. Kannan, 19 others who recovered from COVID-19, rejoined their duties on Monday. City Police Commissioner Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal and other senior police officers welcomed them at the Commissioner’s office in Vepery.

In Chennai, police personnel perform duties including containment area management, quarantine management, contact tracing, enforcement of physical distancing norms and regulation at market places. All these duties involve contact with a large number of members of the public. In spite of precautions being taken, 2,250 police officers and personnel have been infected with COVID-19 and 1,800 police officers and personnel have recovered and rejoined duties so far.

Mr. Kannan said, “Support from the organisation and friends and family helped me recover fast. To handle the disease, one needs strong will power and one must not have fear. Fear is the first enemy here. If you fear COVID-19, whatever medicine you consume, it will not be effective. You need not worry if you face it with strong will power. You can recover from it,” he said.

About the lockdown relaxations, he said, “Now, several lockdown restrictions have been removed. This does not mean the COVID-19 pandemic is over. The infection level continues to be the same as in the past. In this situation, the public should not venture out from their homes and go about without any valid reason. They should not be careless in maintaining physical distancing norms. They should follow the guidelines of the government. If they follow these, they will protect themselves and others.”