Senior officials from the health, public, revenue, disaster management and information department have descended to western Tamil Nadu. Chief Minister MK Stalin who appointed corona monitoring officers for the kongu region will tour western TN. On Saturday Health Minister Ma Subramanian and Information Minister MP Swaminathan reviewed the corona care facilities provided at the Palladam government college premises. Daily infection rate, availability of beds and the treatment protocols were discussed during the meeting. 

Former AIADMK MP KC Palaniswami urged the CM to close down all business operations in Coimbatore and the adjoining districts stating that the tally was spiralling in western TN. In a statement, the former MP pointed out that private hospitals in Coimbatore were charging more and fleecing the patients with hospital bills that run into several lakhs of rupees. "There is a need for more government hospital oxygen beds and government should stop the e-pass for the next one week," he said. 

He also urged the State to operate the crematorium round the clock as fatality rate among COVID patients was on a rise and also demanded an extension of lockdown to 10 more days. The need of the hour is to shut all industries for a week and bring down cases, Palaniswami added. Tight cordoning of state and district borders will be enforced for the next few weeks, sources said.