State extends lockdown till Apr 30, dole again for workers

Auto Majors To Help Make Ventilators

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:14.04.2020

Tamil Nadu has extended the lockdown till April 30 and ramped up efforts to arm itself to check the Covid-19 pandemic, getting auto majors to help make ventilators and local firms to manufacture testing kits.

Announcing the lockdown extension, chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami said the decision followed discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi through videoconference and with medical experts.

With imports of testing kits and ventilators subject to the vagaries of the suppliers, the state government tied up with private manufacturers to produce at least one lakh testing kits, rapid and PCR, by April-end and at least 1,000 ventilators by mid-May.

Palaniswami also announced welfare measures to ease the pressure on the public. As thousands of unorganised workers and their families struggled to access essentials, Palaniswami said PDS rice card holders will get a kg of sugar, tur dal, edible oil and rice free of cost for the month of May.

The families of unorganised workers, including construction labourers, will get cash support of ₹1,000 each for the second time. Also, guest workers will get 15kg of rice, a kg of tur dal and a kg of edible oil free of cost.

A sample being drawn from a guest worker on Monday at the Greater Chennai Corporation health centre in Pudupet to check for Covid-19

Pudukkottai, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri have no cases yet

The CM also appealed to the people to follow lockdown guidelines which were meant for their protection. “Stay vigilant, maintain distance and stay at home”, he said. “We decided to go for lockdown since TN is one of the worst affected states. Except three districts, where there are nil cases, more than 20 districts fall in the red and orange categories (where positive cases are in the range of 12 to 205),” chief secretary K Shanmugam told TOI. The Centre is likely to come up with guidelines for an exit plan, and the state will modify it, if needed. Pudukkottai, Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri have not recorded any case.

In Chennai, residents can avail telemedicine services from doctors registered with the Telemedicine Society of India.