Mask-wearing rule was never relaxed, says Tamil Nadu government, as COVID-19 cases rise
Coronavirus vaccination in Chennai
Keeping in line with the trend that is seen across India, COVID-19 cases are on the rise in the Southern state of Tamil Nadu. Amid widespread laxity among the public in wearing masks, the Government also announced the resumption of imposing fines of Rs.500 from those found violating the mask rule.
In what is now the largest reported COVID-19 case cluster in Tamil Nadu, IIT-Madras in Chennai has 30 active COVID-19 cases, from tests of 700 samples.
According to senior Tamil Nadu Government officials, measures are underway to facilitate the collection of 2,000 samples per day from IIT Madras, thus indicating the possibility of a further explosion in cases. It must also be noted that such targeted testing(as seen in IIT) has not yet commenced elsewhere in the state, in standalone establishments that see large crowds.
Speaking to the media, Tamil Nadu Health Secretary Dr. J. Radhakrishnan said that preventive measures were being implemented in all 19 hostels on the IIT campus, of which 8 of them had the most cases.
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He also emphasised the Institute's responsibility to isolate/confine those that undergo COVID-19 tests, till such time the results are available. This is recommended to prevent intermingling of students, as an infected person could spread the virus to tens of others, by the time he/she received a positive test result.
Despite the rise in cases on campus and the prevailing risk of exposure, IIT Madras has invited journalists to their campus for attending an in-person event on Covid Management.
While the Health Secretary said that there was nothing to panic about, he touched upon the importance of mask-wearing, temperature screening, and sanitizing all crowded spaces. He added that Tamil Nadu had not relaxed the mask-wearing rule and that merely the collection of fines from non-mask-wearers were stopped. However, he announced that people who were found violating the mask rule in public places would henceforth be fined Rs.500.
As of Thursday, Tamil Nadu reported 39 new COVID cases, of which 12 were from IIT Madras alone.
