HC ASKS TN GOVT "WHY NOT A STRICT LOCKDOWN FOR CHENNAI, AGAIN?" - WILL THERE BE A COMPLETE LOCKDOWN IN CHENNAI AND NEIGHBOURING DISTRICTS?

After the spike in the novel coronavirus cases, the Madras High Court on Thursday has asked the state government as to why a complete lockdown can’t be implemented in Chennai City to contain the pandemic.

The Coronavirus special officer, J. Radhakrishnan on Wednesday said that the city will not be going under a complete lockdown after various people anticipated that move. But the a bench of Justices Vineet Kotharai and R Suresh Kumar said on Thursday that the TN government must contain the spread as the number of cases is “steeply rising and the situation has become alarming,” especially in the city and its outskirts. "Therefore, we want to know whether the government has devised any special scheme, which includes complete lockdown or curfew to contain the spread in Chennai and surrounding areas for some time.”

To this the pleader said, "No further decision has been taken. I will get instructions from the special officer J Radhakrishnan, who has been appointed to coordinate COVID-19 work in Chennai, and other officials on the latest development by tomorrow (Friday)."

This comes after the death rate spiked and the number of cases have been above one thousand on a daily basis. The pleader is likely to get the instructions from the government, if any.