No plans for lockdown in city yet: Govt tells HC

Chennai

Responding to a query raised in public interest, by a division bench comprising Justice Vineet Kothari and Justice R Suresh Kumar, Additional Advocate General (AAG) SR Rajagopal, appearing on behalf of the government, said, though the number of people testing positive for the virus was on the rise in Chennai, the government is taking all steps to quarantine them and their kin.

“Restrictions are being imposed on the movement of people from specific buildings and streets. The government does not intend to resort to a 100 per cent lockdown in Chennai at present,” the AAG said. “However, decisions on lockdown were being taken by the State based on the recommendations of a technical committee appointed to chalk out ways and means to control the spread,” he told the bench.

To a query posed by the judge about the government stopping the issue of e-passes to residents of Chennai city, the AAG, on terming it as a rumour, clarified that e-passes for travel were issued only by the Collectors of the destination to which a resident of Chennai wanted to visit after considering the circumstances.