NE NEWS SERVICE
CHENNAI, APRIL 22
The Tamil Nadu Health Department on Friday issued an order stating that it has made the wearing of masks mandatory in the state and violators will have to pay Rs 500 as a fine. The announcement was made soon after a total of 30 students of IIT-Madras tested positive for COVID-19.
The health department said the decision was taken considering the rising cases of Covid-19 in the country, especially in Delhi.
The department had earlier withdrawn the mask mandate following a decline in the number of infections.
The decision to collect a fine of Rs 500 from members of the public was in the backdrop of laxity shown among people in adhering to covid-19 protocols while in public places, Principal Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan said. “We have directed the officials of local administration, health and police department to collect fines from those members of public who were not seen wearing a facial mask while in public places,”, he told reporters
Tamil Nadu has also witnessed a slight increase in fresh cases in the past couple of days. On Thursday, 39 people tested positive for Covid in Tamil Nadu, with 31 registered the previous day. Taking cognizance of the rise in new cases, the government directed the health department to step up testing of samples to around 25,000 a day from the present 18,000 cases.
Twelve students of IIT Madras had also tested positive for the virus and the premium institute was declared a Covid zone on Thursday. The students were however not admitted to a hospital even though they had taken first aid care from the Guindy government hospital. As per reports, while IIT-Madras was ready to admit the students at Guindy Government hospital, doctors informed them that the students do not require hospital administration.
Urging people not to lower their guard, Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan on Thursday said the daily cases in New Delhi spiked as of Wednesday and a similar situation may emerge in Tamil Nadu if people show laxity in following Covid-19 appropriate behavior.
