In the wake of the rising number of cases, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, in a Cabinet meeting on Monday, announced a lockdown in four districts of the state. The lockdown will be from June 19 to June 30.
A Deccan Herald correspondent reported, "Government imposes complete lockdown in Chennai city and parts of neighbouring Tiruvallur, Kanchipuram and Chengalpattu districts from June 19 to June 30."
"The complete lockdown will be enforced for 12 days following a suggestion by an expert committee of doctors that recommended end of some relaxations provided for the past few weeks in Chennai and the three districts," he added.
However, essential services will be open from 6 am to 2 pm. "No taxis or private vehicles will be allowed to ply, while the movement ambulance and hospital vehicles will not be restricted," he added.
Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kanchipuram and Chengalpattu accounts for 37,352 of the total 44,661 positive COVID-19 cases in the state, the DH correspondent said.
Dr P Kuganantham, a senior epidemiologist and member of the 19-member expert committee on COVID-19 set up by the government had said: "We have given advice (to the government) on cutting down relaxations and (further) prevent the spread of virus and the government will take a decision."
The panel had about an hour and a half discussion with Palaniswami, Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, Health Minister C Vijayabaskar and other top state officials.
This was the fifth meeting of the expert committee with the government and several experts including Dr Soumya Swaminathan, chief scientist with WHO and Dr Prabhdeep Kaur, public health expert with Indian Council for Medical Research- National Institute of Epidemiology here took part in the meeting through a virtual link.
On Sunday, Tamil Nadu registered 1,974 new coronavirus cases pushing the overall tally to 44,661 and 38 people died of the virus, raising the fatality count to 435 in the state.
(With PTI inputs)
