Covid surge: Tamil Nadu doctors want government to put a cap on gatherings

The state government has however already barred the entry of devotees to the places of worship between January 13 and 18. 

The state reported 13,990 fresh cases on Monday with the total number of active cases touching 62,767. Of the total number of cases in the state, Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Chengalpattu districts accounted for 67.5 per cent of all new cases in the state.

The Service doctors and Post Graduate Doctors Association (SDPGA) requested the state government and the health department along with the police to ensure that people are adhering to Covid Standard Protocols. This includes wearing masks regularly in a proper manner, maintaining social distancing including physical distancing and regular washing of hands and use of sanitizer.

Dr Prabhdeep Kaur, Deputy Director of National Institute of Epidemiology in a tweet said that Chennai and Chengalpattu districts have a Test Positivity Rate of above 10 per cent and all social gatherings and non essential meetings have to be barred in these districts.

With 200 more health professionals testing positive in Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore and with more than 5 house surgeons testing positive at Madurai Medical College, the Doctors association said that unnecessary gatherings have to be stopped right now and that the government has to use strong measures to prevent people from socializing. 

SDGPA state office bearer and Consultant Physician at Chennai, Dr Krishnan Unni Menon while speaking to IANS said, "The Doctors are vulnerable and if the government does not take stringent action against social gatherings and other non essential meetings, it would mean the virus spreading in geometrical proportion and there are possibilities of the health sector getting affected. This would lead to break down of the health structure of the state and proportionately disease will increase manifold. So please take strong and stringent action against those involved in unnecessary social gatherings and meetings and parties at homes and public places."