Chennai: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami consulted public health experts, including World Health Organisation chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan and others via a video link from the Secretariat, on extension of lockdown.
A 19 member expert committee constituted by the Tamilnadu government to advise it of steps to tackle the Covid-19 crisis on Friday recommended to Palaniswami that the lockdown be extended by two weeks beyond April 14 consdering the rise in number of cases.
A day after Palaniswami said a decision on lockdown extension will be taken based on the committee’s recommendation, he consulted public health experts.
Emerging from the meeting, Dr Prabhdeep Kaur, representing the 19-member committee of experts, said they have recommended to the State government to extend the lockdown beyond April 14 for 14 days considering the rise in the number of positive cases.
Kaur, a scientist with the Indian Council of Medical Research’s National Institute of Epidemiology here, told reporters at Fort St George that so far the efforts of Tamil Nadu government in battling the virus was good and it was appreciated in the meeting.
“The public health system is robust and hence the government has the capacity to detect cases and clusters early and easily and this can be further strengthened and this was discussed.”