When officials including doctors of the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine informed Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami that the number of Covid-19 patients in Tamil Nadu breached the 9,000 mark and was on an upward journey, there were three person in the State who were not at all shocked, amused or surprised by the development.
All three along with the doctors of the Department of Preventive Medicine were in the know of things and were expecting the disaster to happen much earlier.
On May 7, Tamil Nadu had 5,409 patients and within one week, on May 13, the figure breached the 9,000 mark and stood at 9,227. This means that the number of coronavirus cases jumped by 3,818 in six days. On every day starting May 6, the number of coronavirus patients increased by an average of 637 patients.
Edappadi Palaniswami who had a video conference with district collectors an d revenue officials said that the increase of coronavirus cases was on expected lines. “We had asked traders at Koyambedu fruits and vegetable market in Chennai to shut down their operations because of the infection reported from that area. But the traders were adamant that they would not move out from Koyambedu citing the massive loss they may have to face,” said the Chief Minister.
The CM had deputed his second-in-command O Pannerselvam to convince the traders about the need to relocate the market to one of the city suburbs, the leaders stood their ground and were adamant in their conviction that they would not budge an inch.