CHENNAI: Passengers coming to Tamil Nadu from other States by buses and trains will undergo thermal screening to check for the spread of coronavirus, Chief Secretary K Shanmugam has said. Addressing mediapersons on Thursday, he said, “Earlier, passengers arriving only though air and sea were screened. Now, since there are inbound cases, thermal screening will be extended to intercity passengers too.”
Shanmugam told reporters that the government would enforce the Centre’s decision on restricting visas.
Meanwhile, a 21-year-old resident of Suvalpet in Ranipet district, was referred to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai from Arakkonam GH with symptoms of virus infection on Thursday. According to sources, he visited Kerala five days ago and travelled by flight.
‘State effectively monitoring its borders’
“Consuls General of various countries have asked doubts about allowing passengers travelling on dependent visas as government cancelled all regular visas, including e-visas, giving exemption to certain visas,” said Shanmugam.
During the day, Health Minister C Vijaya Basker, along with the Chief Secretary and the Health Secretary, held a meeting on preventive measures along with Consuls General of the US, the UK, Russia and Sri Lanka and senior officials from Southern Railway, airport, immigration, transport and labour departments.
The Health Minister said the State is effectively monitoring its border as cases have been reported in the neighbouring Kerala and Karnataka. “Isolation facilities will be set up on the outskirts of Madurai, Chennai and Coimbatore and works are going on,” he added.
The Minister also said that the condition of the single COVID-19 patient in Tamil Nadu was stable.
Meanwhile, a media bulletin issued by the Directorate of Public Health said, “Till now 75 samples have been tested, among them 73 tested negative and one is under process and one is positive for the infection,” the bulletin added.
NO NEED FOR PANIC, SAYS EDAPPADI
CM Edappadi K Palaniswami said in the TN Assembly that there was no need to panic as the government has taken all steps to prevent the spread of the virus. Responding to Opposition parties, he said, “Only those who come from foreign countries have this viral infection. All those who come from abroad are being thoroughly screened.”