Tamil Nadu govt to intensify containment measures after 33 new COVID-19 cases

Tamil Nadu on Wednesday reported 33 new cases of COVID-19, as government intensified steps to curb pandemic spread in Chennai with appointment of two IAS officers to oversee containment strategy including testing those with symptoms like fever for virus.

As many as four journalists from city tested positive, a day after 25 staffers including journalists from a Tamil TV channel reported positive for infection.

four have been admitted to exclusive COVID-19 hospital at Omandurar Estate and are undergoing treatment, a senior health official said.

While three of m work for a Tamil TV news channel, fourth was from ar vernacular news channel. Earlier, a large number of journalists in city volunteered for testing after a scribe from a Tamil newspaper and a TV journalist tested positive on Sunday.

Chennai continued to top state's COVID-19 numbers with 373 infections on Wednesday, as new proposed measures included complete curb on public movement in containment zones and expediting contact tracing.

Catering to frontline workers, government hiked solatium to Rs 50 lakh from existing Rs 10 lakh, for those professionals who lose ir lives fighting against deadly virus.

In a related development, Madras High Court rejected a plea seeking disclosure of identities of COVID-19 patients in state so that people who came in contact with m can go for self-quarantine.

On Wednesday, government said 33 new COVID-19 positive cases were reported in state. With fresh deaths, toll from virus remained at 18, a bulletin issued by Health department said.

additions pushed cumulative tally to 1,629, even as 662 people have been discharged, including 27 today. Following fresh numbers, Chennai had 373 positive cases followed by Coimbatore 134 and Tiruppur at 109.

Nearly 23,760 people were under home quarantine while 155 were in government facilities, it said. With Chennai topping chart, government anunced intensified measures to check spread of pandemic.

Chief Minister K Palaniswami said a series of measures were being implemented to check spread of contagion in city.

"Considering prevailing situation, I have directed steps to completely curb public movement in containment zones, expedite contact tracing and subject m to tests, and carry out coronavirus testing on those in city limits with symptoms like breathlessness, fever, and throat pain," he said in a statement.

Two IAS officials have been additionally appointed as zonal officers for this purpose, he said. Furr, he anunced an increase in solatium for frontline workers in battle, from existing Rs 10 lakh to Rs 50 lakh.

gesture applies to medical professionals at state-run government hospitals, health or sanitation workers and police, besides employees of local bodies who die contracting lethal virus while on coronavirus containment work.

Also, kin of deceased would be provided a government job, based on ir qualification, he said. Furr, steps would be taken to offer protection for ir funerals, wher y were government or private staff.

"It is duty of government to hour selfless service of frontline workers," he said. Medical professionals and health workers serving in both government and private hospitals would be houred with appropriate awards if y lost ir lives while fighting against COVID-19, he added.

Madras High Court dismissed a plea seeking disclosure of identities of COVID-19 patients to enable those who had come in contact with m go for self-quarantine.

A special bench of Justices M Sathyanarayanan and M Nirmal Kumar dismissed a public interest litigation petition which also sought a direction to state government to monitor COVID-19 patients for at least three months after recovery.

petitioner contended that considering nature of contagious disease and its impact on public, unless identity of affected persons was revealed it would be impossible for ors to kw wher y have come across an infected person and decide on self quarantining m.

COVID-19 bulletins issued by state government only mention city/town, , and primary or secondary contact details of patients.

Meanwhile, a section of resident doctors at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital threatened to "withhold" all COVID-19 related duties from Wednesday evening demanding quarantine facilities for m but dropped move following an assurance from chief minister on ensuring ir safety, officials said.