Lockdown cannot be extended again and again: Tamil Nadu CM Stalin

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday asked people of the state to follow the Covid-19 restrictions strictly to contain the spread of the coronavirus as the government cannot keep extending lockdown endlessly.

In a video message posted on his social media pages and released to media by the government, Stalin said the lockdown imposed in the state on May 10 and intensified from May 24 has yielded results with the number of people getting infected with Covid-19 coming down gradually.

“We cannot keep extending the lockdown. We have to put a full stop to this (lockdown). It rests in the hands of the people. If people follow the restrictions imposed by the government, we can put a full stop to the spread,” the Chief Minister said.

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In his speech, Stalin spoke about the steps that his new government took to augment the health infrastructure after it assumed office on May 7, saying the state has enough supply of oxygen needed for Covid-19 patients and there is no shortage of beds.

Talking about the Covid-19 spread, Stalin said the number of cases every day has come down to around 2,000 in Chennai, and that the spread in Coimbatore and other western districts are also showing signs of a decline.

“I have dedicated myself to the welfare of the people. Our government has taken several steps in the past three weeks to contain the Covid-19 spread. I admit that lockdown affects the livelihood of several people, and that is the reason we disbursed Rs 2,000 last month, and another Rs 2,000 will be distributed soon,” the Chief Minister said in his message.

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Admitting that the Covid-19 spread has stressed the finances of the state and the health infrastructure, Stalin said containing the Covid-19 spread soon was imperative to bring in several sweeping changes in many government departments.

He also said the state was vaccinating 3 lakh persons, a day while conducting RT-PCR tests on nearly 1.70 lakh persons. Stalin also recalled his visit to the exclusive Corona ward at the Government ESI Medical College and Hospital in Coimbatore wearing personal protective equipment (PPE).

“I went to the Covid-19 ward only to instil hope and boost the confidence of those infected with the virus, doctors, and other frontline workers,” Stalin added.