Chennai: The expert medical team today suggested extension of lockdown in Chennai and three neighbouring districts where the coronavirus positive cases were increasing exponentially.
Talking to reporters after a review meeting with Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on the COVID-19 situation in the backdrop of the fourth phase of lockdown ending tomorrow, ICMR Deputy Director Pradeep Kaur said since the cases were significantly increasing in Chennai and neighbouring Tiruvallur, Kanchipuram and Chengalpattu districts, it was advisable to
extend the lockdown in these four districts.
Chennai topped the corona chart with 13,362 cases, followed by Chengalpattu (1,000), Thiruvallur (877) and Kancheepuram (366), besides 154 deaths, which included 113 in Chennai alone.
She said the lockdown guidelines could be relaxed in other districts of the State, where the situation has come under control, but said public transport services like buses, trains, metros and EMUs should not be resumed in Chennai and the three districts as there were more chances of virus spread and also endanger people’s lives.
Suggesting that testing has to be increased to identify those affected by corona, she said only then they could be isolated to prevent the spread of the virus.
She said more the testing, more positive cases would emerge, while allaying the fears of the people about the increasing numbers.
Stating that despite the state government putting in its best efforts to tackle the virus spread, Dr Kaur said controlling the spread lies only with the people of these four districts, where the cases had been increasing with every passing day–accounting for nearly 77 per cent of the more than 20,200 plus cases in Tamilnadu.
She said people in these four districts should strictly adhere to the guidelines announced by the government to prevent the virus spread and said people should compulsorily wear face masks.
She also urged the people in the fmailies to take care of the elders.