Chennai: Since the number of coronavirus cases has fallen drastically in some parts of the state, experts have asked the government to relax curbs where the situation is under control. They asserted that there are no epidemiological reasons to extend the lockdown uniformly across the state to combat the spread of coronavirus as the shutdown is not the only solution.
The suggestions come as recoveries in the state remained high with 32,221 people walking out of health care institutions in the last 24 hours, totaling 18,66,660 till date. The active cases in Tamil Nadu stand at 2,80,426. The daily infections fell below 25,000— 24, 405 to be specific, pushing the total caseload to 21.72 lakh while 460 fatalities raised the toll to 25,665.
“The second wave started and peaked in different parts of the state at different times. Bed availability is also different in different districts. So, the same rules of lockdown cannot be extended to all districts,” Times of India quoted National Institute of Epidemiology deputy director Dr Prabhdeep Kaur, as saying. Kaur’s remarks assume signifocance as she is also a member of the state medical expert committee.
Contrary to experts, Chief Minister Stalin said that lockdown is the only solution to arrest the Covid spread across the state.
“Enforcing lockdown is the only solution to break the chain of transmission and this had earlier yielded positive results in the state. However, the Covid-induced curbs have impacted a large section of the population and so the decision to further extend the lockdown rests in the hands of the citizens,” Stalin had stated in his virtual address to the people of Tamil Nadu.
The Chief Minister also appealed to the people of the state to adhere to the strict protocols imposed by the government. Stalin said that the complete lockdown has started yielding results and cited the examples of Chennai corporation and Coimbatore.
He said: “Prior to the lockdown, Chennai clocked over 7,000 single-day Covid cases, but now it has dropped to 2,000, ever since the curb has been enforced.”