Covid-19: Madras HC asks Tamil Nadu government why full lockdown should not be reimposed in Chennai
The bench said the number of cases is ‘steeply rising and the situation has become alarming’ in Chennai and its outskirts, despite government efforts.
The Madras High Court on Thursday asked the Tamil Nadu government why a complete lockdown cannot be reimposed in Chennai, given its high and rising number of coronavirus cases, PTI reported. A bench, comprised of Justices Vineet Kothari and R Suresh Kumar, said despite the efforts of the government, the number of cases is “steeply rising and the situation has become alarming” in Chennai and its outskirts.
“Therefore, we want to know whether the government has devised any special scheme, which includes complete lockdown or curfew to contain the spread in Chennai and surrounding areas for some time,” the judges asked V Jayaprakash Narayan, who represented the Tamil Nadu government. The bench also said that its observations did not imply initiation of a public interest litigation, or suo motu cognisance of the matter.
Responding to the court’s question, Narayan sought time till Friday to get instructions from the government. However, he enumerated the guidelines the E Palaniswami government had set while extending the lockdown to June 30.
According to these guidelines, issued late last month, the government allowed showrooms and big shops to open in the state, except in containment zones. It also permitted e-commerce activities including delivery of non-essential items, but only outside Chennai. In Chennai, it was mandated that shops and showrooms can function with 50% of the employees. Only five customers were to be permitted inside the shops. However, air conditioning was disallowed.
The government had also decided to retain the ban on public transport buses and trains operating in Chennai and three other districts surrounding it. The government has also appointed a group of ministers to monitor containment activities in the city.
“No further decision [on extending curbs] has been taken,” Narayan said on Thursday. “I will get instructions from the special officer J Radhakrishnan, who has been appointed to coordinate Covid-19 work in Chennai, and other officials on the latest development by tomorrow.”
Tamil Nadu has reported 36,841 cases of Covid-19 so far, including 1,927 in a single day on Wednesday. Chennai accounts for over 26,000 cases of these cases.