“Neither the people nor their livelihood is in a position to bear another lockdown after May 2. Hence, I urge all officials to act strenuously to prevent COVID spread in the last week of the caretaker government,” Stalin said, apparently trying to put to bed speculation about his considering a complete lockdown in the event of DMK returning to power after the votes of the recently concluded Assembly polls are counted on May 2.

Stalin’s statement is also perceived as a veiled message to the bureaucrats to not do anything in haste in the last week of the incumbent government. Attributing the adverse impact of the second COVID wave to the failure of the state government in preparing a long-term plan based on the lessons it had learnt from the first wave of Corona spread, the DMK president referred to the acute oxygen and hospital bed demand in the northern states and said that though the strong medical infrastructure of the state was a blessing for Tamil Nadu, only a sound planning in tune with the infrastructure could help save people from the COVID spread.

Advising the chief secretary among the bureaucrats to engage in actively romping up the infrastructure, especially stock adequate volume of oxygen and ventilators, Stalin said the district collectors should make awareness on wearing masks in public places a campaign of people’s movement.

Joining the issue with Stalin, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president KS Alagiri has asked the Central and State governments to responsibly handle the issue and save the people.

Alagiri said the BJP regime has failed to provide treatment and free people from the grip of COVID fear.