While the state government of Tamil Nadu has been staying vigilant and enhancing the mechanisms to contain the spread of the pandemic Coronavirus (COVID19), state health minister C Vijayabaskar has said that the government would take severe actions against the rumormongers who spread the rumors about the virus through social media.

On Saturday, Tamil Nadu has reported with one positive case of Coronavirus. A man who is a native of Kancheepuram district had arrived at Chennai from Oman and after showing the symptoms, he had taken and quarantined at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai following which his samples were collected. The test results returned positive making him the first case of Corona in the state and altering the state government about the rapid spread. 

On Monday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami had conveyed the urgent meeting at the Chief Secretariat and the meeting was attended by cabinet ministers and health officials during which the Chief Minister reviewed the preventive measures and apparatus put in place to tackle the virus. 

While addressing the reporters after the conclusion of the meet, state health minister Vijayabaskar said that the government has strengthened the screening at the airports in the state and the awareness campaigns about the virus have been carried out in schools, factories, and companies. He stated that the government has decided to install isolation wards for coronavirus hit patients in Madurai and the installations of the testing facility in four regions of the state are under consideration and added that the government would release the short film of an awareness campaign about containing the virus.

He further stated that the stern action would be taken against the rumormongers by the police department if they reportedly spread rumors about the virus on social media. He appealed to the people not to get panic by earing the rumors and highlighted that the affected person, who returned from Oman, has been getting treated at the isolation ward in the government general hospital and called the people to be co-operative for the government in combating the epidemic. The minister added that the government has tested over 1,22,000 people so far.