The day Tamil Nadu chose to relax the lockdown and allow factories, IT companies and business establishments to resume operations saw 1,162 persons testing positive for coronavirus, the highest number of cases to be registered on a single day. On Sunday 1,149 persons had tested positive for the pandemic.
According to the release issued by the Government of Tamil Nadu on Monday, 23,495 persons have been tested positive till date in the State. Taking into account the number of persons cured and discharged from hospitals, there were 10,138 active cases in the State as on Monday. The day also saw 11 persons succumbing to the pandemic taking the tally to 184.
Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram and Thiruvallur districts topped the table with the highest number of covid patients. Dr Ram Subramanian, member of the medical team advising the Tamil Nadu Government said the increase in the number of patients need not cause any kind of apprehension in the minds of the people. “The responsibility of the citizens is to make sure that they wear masks and observe social distancing.
Also, see to it that children below the age of 10 and senior citizens (those above the age of 60) remain at him because they are the most vulnerable group,” said Dr Ram Subramanian, a specialist in infectious diseases.
Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswamy on Monday laid the foundation for a Rs 235 crore Software Park to be built by Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation at Pattabiram, a Chennai suburb. The park named as Tidel Park would offer 25,000 direct employment in the field of futuristic technology, said a release by the Tamil Nadu Government.
Despite the ever increasing number of patients, the State is limping back to normalcy as the lockdown which was in force for the last 65 days has entered its last phase. Barring the four districts of Chennai, Thiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu, lockdown is being relaxed all over the remaining 33 districts, though remnants of the restrictions are still visible.
State-owned transport buses started plying in 33 districts with stringent regulations like social distancing and face masks. Employees of Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation, the public sector that operates inter-district bus services looked jovial and pleased as they welcomed the passengers onboard by offering them hand sanitizers.
“It has been lifeless 65 days away from the growling of the engines and the cacophony of the passengers. We have never experienced such a phase in out three decades of service,” said Manoharan, a driver in Sivaganga bus station while getting ready for the routine trip to Karaikudy.
M K Stalin , leader of the Opposition, who is also the president of the DMK said in a statement that the hike in the number of coronavirus cases in the State is due to the failure of the government to properly conduct the tests.
“It has been an all round failure of the State and Central Governments. The number of tests held should have been more and we were alerting the State Government about the significance of the tests from day one onwards. But the Edappadi Palaniswamy Government did not bother to listen to our pleas,” said Stalin in a statement on Monday.