Chennai: Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and estranged AIADMK leader O. Panneerselvam has advised the state administration to close schools due to an increase in flu-related cases in the southern state.
He urged Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to come in right now and take action to close schools in order to stop the disease's spread.
OPS, as Panneerselvam is more commonly known, stated in a statement on Sunday that it is the responsibility of the state government to preserve public health, noting that the number of children being admitted to hospitals in the state is rising.
The former Chief Minister said, "The Tamil Nadu government should declare holidays in schools for some time and postpone the exam schedule till the time the cases come down. The government should take steps to create awareness among the people about the flu and make the necessary medicines available to them."
He also said that doctors have warned people above 60 years of age to be careful. OPS said that schools in Puducherry have already been shut till September 25 due to the spread of flu cases in the Union Territory.
