‘Infections expected to shoot up’
The Hindu
Senior officials hold meet, form zonal enforcement teams
The number of COVID-19 cases is expected to increase in Chennai and neighbouring districts, Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan said, urging people to adhere to safety norms.
He said the Union government had written to the State government about the need for precautions in Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur on the basis of the data shared by the State. “The number of cases is expected to increase. Residents are requested to wear masks. Those who buy food from hotels are requested to stand a few feet apart from others,” he told reporters after holding a meeting on the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus.
Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi held a meeting with Commissioner of Police Shankar Jiwal, in the presence of Dr. Radhakrishnan. “Contact-tracing has improved. We have traced 4,300 contacts for a single person in GH, thanks to the Corporation and the police. Chennai has 10,000 oxygen beds ready,” said Dr. Radhakrishnan.
As speculation over the continuation of Minister for Scheduled Tribes Welfare B. Nagendra in the Cabinet persisted, with the demand for his resignation raised by the BJP in connection with the ₹94 crore scam at the Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation, his Cabinet colleagues came to his defence on Thursday.