Tamil Nadu's reintroduction of intense lockdown in the metro, is it a model?

COVID-19 positive cases in Tamil Nadu have crossed the 50,000 marks on Wednesday, with Wednesday being the highest single-day spike of 2174 new cases. Medical and Health experts who recently brainstormed with Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami were of the opinion of intensified lockdown with more efficient quarantine and containment area management. The proposed 12-day lockdown which begins on June 19th will be in place until midnight on June 30th.

Chennai (Tamil Nadu): While state's COVID-19 positive cases have crossed the 50,000 marks on Wednesday, the state cabinet's decision to reintroduce intense lockdown in Chennai and its neighbouring districts - Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, and Tiruvallur, seems like a step in the right direction.

The infection surge at these places was attributed to the large urban population, packed residential area and meagre average living space.

As per June 17th medical bulletin, the total number of cases in the state stood at 50,193 cases, and 576 deaths with Wednesday being the highest single-day spike of 2174 new cases. Overall cases in Chennai accounts for more than 70 pc with a cumulative tally of 35,556.

At present state's tests per million is 9,845 and positive per 100 tests is at 6.4.

Until yesterday, the number of cases related to violation of lockdown is 6,08,791 and leading to the arrest of 6,57,399 persons. As many as 4,78,714 vehicles were seized. A total of Rs 13,38,01,229 have been collected as fine ever since the first lockdown has been brought in place.

How the decision arrived?

On June 14th, a day ahead of the cabinet decision on lockdown, the state recorded its highest death toll on a single day toll of 46 deaths in its metro and its adjoining areas.

Prior to this, District Collectors, in a meeting with Chief Secretary K Shanmugam on June 12th, asserted that the increase in positive cases was attributed to those coming from Chennai testing positive for the infection.

The Collectors have also sought the government to restrict movements from Chennai to other districts which will serve as elbow room to control the disease spread.

Similar views were aired by Chennai corporation zonal officials and senior police officials of Greater Chennai Police who observed that internal restrictions in the above areas will help break disease cycle, focus on early detection of cases through fever clinic, focussed testing, effective contact tracing and efficient management of quarantine and containment area.

Medical and Health experts who brainstormed with Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami were also of the same opinion of intensified lockdown with more efficient quarantine and containment area management.

The proposed 12-day lockdown which begins on June 19th will be in place until midnight on June 30th.

Key Measures

Chief Secretary (CS) K Shanmugam reeled out detailed guidelines so as to ensure that this intense lockdown succeeds as intended.

During this lockdown, Chennai City Police limit border will be fortified with multi-layer checking to check whether those exiting have the essential passes and barricades will be set up at critical locations to restrict internal movement.

While vegetable shops, grocery shops and petrol bunks will be allowed to operate between 6 am and 2 pm, the public would not be allowed to use vehicles and will have to purchase anything from their neighbourhood shops within 2 km radius.

Two Sundays - June 21st and June 28th which fall under this intense lockdown will be total shutdown except for milk distribution, hospitals, pharmaceutical shops, hospital vehicles, ambulance, hearse vehicles. Private vehicles will be allowed only for medical emergencies.

Eight point directives were issued by the CS in this regard for restriction of movement intracity and interdistrict, active identification and testing, efficient contact tracing, monitoring home isolation of COVID positive patient, containment and quarantine management, micro-level planning and analysis of cases, smooth patient management.

Geo-fencing of home isolated persons and quarantine contacts also finds its place among the directions issued to contain the disease spread in Chennai Corporation and Greater Chennai Police limits.

If Chennai is able to break the cycle with this lockdown, it would definitely become a model for other states to emulate.