TAMIL NADU GOVERNMENT LEADS THE WAY TO OTHER STATES WITH ITS HANDLING OF COVID19

Tamil Nadu has been consistently reporting a rise in number of COVID19 cases for the past one month. However, it is also the second state to have conducted the most number of tests in the country after Maharashtra. The state has been testing more than 50,000 persons per day. 

Despite the rise in number of cases, the state continues to battle the novel coronavirus and find ways to curb the spread of the virus. 

Here are a few strategies used by the state to control the spread of the virus

-Early Detection

Dr J Radhakrishnan, the state health secretary told media persons in June that the state is literally chasing coronavirus to catch it at the earliest. The state has been testing people who enter the state through road, rail, air and sea. If they do not show symptoms, they are instructed to follow strict home quarantine for 14 days. If symptoms kick in, they are transferred to the hospital immediately. 

“Government is doing a wonderful job and COVID care centres, over 50-60, have been started only in Chennai. Every week we discuss advancement in the medical field, in terms of treatment and scientific advancement. We keep changing protocols, treatment and diagnostic strategies, so we are able to implement the effective measures to tackle the disease,” Dr Paranthaman, the head of the department of medicine ward at Kilpauk Medical College told The Quint.

The state has also been under a strict lockdown for the past few weeks. Public transport has not been allowed. Cabs and auto rickshaws too can ply only a couple of passengers other than the driver. It is mandatory for people to obtain E-pass in order to travel one district to another within the state or travel between different Indian states.

-Aggressive Testing

In the initial days of the pandemic, the state was under scrutiny for not conducting enough tests. From the first week of April the state started testing around 2,700 samples and the number grew to 9,643 by the end of April. The number subsequently crossed 50,000 samples per day, between 15 July and 22 July.

The state has also recorded a tremendous growth in both government as well as private testing facilities. Medical experts across the globe have been emphasizing on the importance of testing and the crucial role it plays in detection of COVID19 as well as treatment.

The doubling time of COVID-19 in Chennai is now at 47 days and is better in comparison to the national average of 21 days. According to experts, rapid testing, strict lockdown and isolation of containment zones has played a significant role in the fight against the virus. 

Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner G Prakash said that the government is working on bringing down the positivity rate in the city from 10-12% to 8-10%. 

-Managing the rise in COVID19 cases in TN Districts

Many districts did not report high number of cases in May but the numbers increased due to increase in intra-state lockdown. While a strict lockdown was imposed in the capital city, the numbers declined in Chennai but other districts started witnessing a spike in COVID19 cases. 

“This is inevitable,” said Dr Ramasubramanian. “Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad were ahead of the curve with cases concentrated here predominantly. But we are at a stage where it is plateauing. Now it is Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Trichy and Madurai which are going ahead now. This is not unexpected,” Dr Ramasubramanian told online news portal, The Quint.

TN Health secretary assured that testing will be increased in districts and measures would be taken to map all streets by allocating one officer to monitor 300 persons. The positive cases have dropped since then and at the same time recoveries have also improved. 

-Usage of Masks and following Physical distancing norms

The state has passed strict instructions to ensure that citizens don’t violate social distancing norms. In cases of violation, strict action has been taken in the past and the state will continue to do so. Customers were not allowed to shop without masks. From women dressed as goddesses, usage of drones, police wearing corona masks to using an ambulance with fake COVID patients, innovative methods have been used to ensure that citizens follow social distancing norms. 

According to media reports, as on 22 July, 8,07,214 persons have violated the rule of moving freely without a valid reason and over 6,46,689 vehicles have been seized.