Jolted by the unabated increase in the number of Covid-19 patients all over the State since the conclusion of the election to the Legislative Assembly, Tamil Nadu is resorting to an “undeclared total lock-down” from Monday. Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswamy has called for an all-party meeting on Monday to take stock of the latest position in the State due to Covid-19.
According to sources in the Chief Minister’s Office the topic of opening the Sterlite Plant owned by Vedanta Group may figure in the meeting. The management of the Company has reportedly told the State Government to re-open the oxygen plant in the company so that more oxygen cylinders could be made available to States facing shortage of oxygen. The Sterlite Plant was shut down in May 2018 following allegations of environmental pollution because of the copper manufacturing plant.
In addition to the controls and restrictions which were declared a ten days ago, Tamil Nadu Government has asked all malls, theatres, shopping complexes to be shut down with effect from Monday morning.
All gyms, theatres, parlours, spas, swimming pools. Sporting centres, auditoriums, bars, meeting halls and all temples have been declared out of bound.
On Saturday, the State diagnosed 14,842 new cases of Covid-19 and fatalities of 80 across the State which made the Government crack the whip. From early morning on Monday, Tamil Nadu will become out of bound for people from all States in the country other than the union territory of Puducherry.
Those seeking entry into the State have to furnish e-registration. Though the rules have been tightened in Tamil Nadu, it will take weeks for any reduction to be visible in the number of Covid-19 cases. J Radhakrishnan, health secretary, who is in the field throughout the day told reporters on Sunday that the state has created a seamless system to manage patients. “I request the people not to panic as we have a fool-proof mechanism functional throughout the State. Tamil Nadu has stocked all medicines and vaccines and oxygen cylinders to meet any emergencies,” said Radhakrishnan.