CHENNAI: As the State reported less than 1,000 Covid-19 positive cases on Monday for the first time since March 18, Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan texted all the district Collectors to ensure the public do not jump the gun. Instead, it’s time for introspection, he added.
In a message shared to the media, the health secretary said cases started to come down after the majority of people started following Covid-19 appropriate behaviour like wearing masks, maintaining social distancing, and started taking vaccinations, especially from May when the threat of contracting Covid and death rates were high.
He also highlighted the hard work put in by people at the grassroots level to reduce the numbers. Sanitary workers, paramedics, nurses, doctors, local bodies, public health cadre, police, revenue, social welfare people, NGOs, elected representatives, and residents welfare associations were instrumental in continuing the fight against Covid-19.
However, he claimed that people are now throwing caution to the winds by not wearing masks and avoiding vaccinations. “Instead of burying and suppressing the virus, the public seems to be giving it an open invitation for its resurgence. Let us realise that relaxation comes with a lot of responsibilities in form of following Covid appropriate behaviour, SOPs for permitted activities, and ensuring people get vaccinated,” he said.
The coming days and a few more months needed to be approached with caution till all people get the jab, he observed and added, “Best wishes to you and your teams to continue with the efforts till we suppress the disease totally.”