Will section 144 be imposed in TN? Minister Vijaya Baskar Responds!

All the seven individuals who have tested positive for Coronavirus in Tamil Nadu had travel histories to foreign countries. There is no trace of community spread yet and necessary precautionary measures are being put in place by the government to ensure the same, the State Minister for Health Vijayabaskar told in an exclusive interview to Behindwoods on March 22.

Those who have travel histories to anywhere outside the state and experiencing coughing, fever and difficulty in breathing, and those who have come in contact with them, are to be tested. Hospitals have also been instructed to put pneumonia complaints to test.

The Minister rubbed away the claim that Coronavirus will not survive in higher degrees of temperature and requested people to not pay heed to such rumours.

Expressing disappointment over witnessing huge gatherings at several railway stations in Chennai, the Minister appealed to people to avoid unnecessary travel and stay behind closed doors. “In addition to support from the government, everyone should come forward and shoulder the responsibility of taking care of their health.”

“Many are questioning the shut down of crowd-attracting spots such as markets and shopping malls. Know about the impact of the disease in countries such as America, China and Italy. We are fighting hard to not land in such situation and our fight needs your cooperation,” said Vijayabaskar.

Asked if Section 144 will be imposed in Tamil Nadu, the Minister said, “Such order will affect the livelihood of many. The government will keep monitoring the situation in the coming days and make necessary decisions.”