Chennai, Jan 11 (BPNS)

With the number of Covid -19 cases increasing in the state, the Medical doctors of Tamil Nadu have requested the state government to put a ban on gatherings including social gatherings. While the state government has already barred the entry of devotees to the worship places of the state between January 13 and 18, the doctors wanted the state government to prevent any form of gatherings.

The state reported 13,990 fresh cases on Monday with the total number of cases touching 62,767. Of the total number of cases in the state, Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, and Chengalpattu districts accounted for 67.5 % of all new cases in the state.

The Service doctors and Post Graduate Doctors association(SDPGA) requested the state government and the health department along with the police to ensure that people are adhering to Covid Standard Protocols of the government. This includes wearing masks regularly in a proper manner, maintaining social distancing including physical distancing and regular washing of hands, and use of sanitizer.

Dr. Prabhdeep Kaur, Deputy Director of National Institute of Epidemiology in a tweet said that Chennai and Chengalpattu districts have a Test Positivity Rate of above 10 percent, and all social gatherings and non-essential meetings have to be barred in these districts.

With 200 more health professionals testing positive in Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore and with more than 5 house surgeons testing positive at Madurai Medical College, the Doctors association said that unnecessary gatherings have to be stopped right now and that the government has to use strong measures to prevent people from socializing.

SDGPA state office bearer and Consultant Physician at Chennai, Dr. Krishnan Unni Menon while speaking to BPNS said, “The Doctors are vulnerable and if the government does not take stringent action against social gatherings and other non essential meetings, it would mean the virus spreading in geometrical proportion and there are possibilities of the health sector getting effected. This would lead to break down of the health structure of the state and proportionately disease will increase manifold. So please take strong and stringent action against those involved in unnecessary social gatherings and meetings and parties at homes and public places.”