1. Complete Lockdown in Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore for 3-4 Days
In order to contain the spread of COVID-19, the government of Tamil Nadu has announced stricter lockdown measures in five municipal corporations – Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore, Salem and Tiruppur – starting 26 April.
The municipal corporations of Chennai, Madurai and Coimbatore will enforce a total shutdown for four days starting 6 am on 26 April to 9 pm on 29 April. Similarly, the municipal corporations of Salem and Tiruppur will enforce a total shutdown for three days starting 6 am on 26 April to 9 pm on 28 April. Small shops which sell vegetables and fruits will not be allowed to function in these areas between 26 April and 28/29 April. Vegetables and fruits can be sold only on pushcarts.
Read the full story here.
2. TN Cops Stage ‘Comical’ Video on Lockdown, Experts Question
On Friday, 24 April, the people of Tamil Nadu woke up to a video from Tiruppur district. Six youths riding triples on two bikes without masks and helmets were stopped by the police and questioned on why they were outside during a lockdown. Unsatisfied with their answers the police led them to an 'ambulance'.
The video then introduced a comic background music score, as a 'patient', depicted to be COVID-19 positive, attempted to touch the youngsters. What followed was two minutes of the men scrambling to avoid physical contact with the 'patient' and attempting to escape the close quarters of the tempo. The video, which was staged and executed by the Tiruppur police, has received mixed responses on social media.
Read the full story here.
3. COVID-19: Private Elephant Owners Want Govt Aid, Rehab Centres
Private elephant owners across the country have appealed for government intervention, to help maintain their elephants, as the coronavirus pandemic has crippled their sources of income. The Quint spoke to elephant owners in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Goa, who said that they are afraid they will exhaust all their savings very soon and have no hope of things returning to normalcy for at least four months.
Animal activists are also urging the various state administrations to provide fodder at a discounted rate and facilitate movement of trucks, so that the animals are not starved and denied medication.
Read the full story here.
4. Web Portal Founder Booked for Reports on Food Shortage for TN Docs
In an unprecedented and controversial move, police arrested the founder of SimpliCity, a Coimbatore-based online portal, for reporting about shortage of food for Postgraduates in the Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital and irregularities in the Public Distribution system. Andrew Sam Raja Pandian was arrested based on a complaint filed by M Sundararajan an Assistant Commissioner (Personal) with the city corporation.
In what seems to be a clear case of muzzling the media, the complainant claimed that two reports on the website could 'turn doctors and public distribution system (PDS) workers against the government and derail efforts to fight the coronavirus'.
Read the full story here.
5. CM Urges Kejriwal to Take Care of 559 Event Attendees
Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami wrote to his counterpart in Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal, on Friday, urging the latter to instruct the authorities concerned to extend the best possible care to 559 persons from Tamil Nadu who attended the Tablighi Jamaat event and have been quarantined/hospitalised in the national capital.
Palaniswami also sought necessary medical assistance to those suffering from co-morbid conditions. In his letter, Palaniswami listed the details of the hospitals and quarantine centres, where the 559 individuals were quarantined or treated and said that the state government had been receiving a number of grievances with regard to the conditions of their stay.
(Source: The Hindu)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)