Follow COVID protocol, insists Radhakrishnan

CHENNAI: Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan had written to the district Collectors and Commissioner of Greater Chennai Corporation amid the rise of COVID-19 cases in Chennai and Chengalpattu. The State Health Department planned to organise special mega vaccination camp on June 12 in Tamil Nadu.

The daily cases which had been 22/day on April 15 is now nearing 100 and likely to go up in the coming days. While cases are so far mild, the fact is there are eight sub-variants and lineages within them can reinfect and/or be immune-resistant.

“Those with symptoms and fever to be checked at entry point of work places, institutions, and isolated before others get exposed to the individual. Keep giving a push to vaccination and ensure masks work in public places, especially crowded areas or where people get exposed to each other without possibility of social distance,” said Radhakrishnan.

Radhakrishnan encouraged those eligible for vaccination (whether first, second or booster) to take it on time so that immunity does not drop at the community level.

“If someone has symptoms, instead of ignoring it in the first few days, get it freely tested in the nearest government facility, and self-isolate till results come,” he said. “If the results turned positive, based on the doctor’s advice, get treated. Either quarantine at home or in institutional isolation facility and or in medical facility depending on the actual condition.”

Detection of positives must be linked to test positivity and any test positivity above 5% or hospital occupancy above 40% of the beds in various categories should be a cause of concern, subject to guidance being received from time to time from the experts.

As of now, in Tamil Nadu no district falls in this category and our efforts should be suppress the virus and not allow it to fester at lower levels.

“While currently, there is no cause of panic and no knee jerk closure of any activity is to be done,” he wrote.

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