Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami has, on Wednesday, reiterated that the COVID-19 spread can be contained in the state and it can have a gradual exit from the lockdown if people adhere and follow the government guidelines and regulations. 

While addressing the reporters after the conclusion of the virtual meet with the district collectors on framing the road ahead for the state for August, the Chief Minister said that the COVID-19 fatality rate in Tamil Nadu currently stands at 1.6 percent and the state has been doing the highest number of COVID-19 tests in the country and the government has been ramping aggressive testing and conducting more fever camps. 

He stated that the government has contained the spread in Chennai and it has been rolling out the containment measures to further curb the spread of the viral infection. The state has reported 3,659 deaths so far as of Tuesday through which the percent of the fatality rate stands at 1.6%. He asserted that the spread can be contained and the lockdown can be relaxed if people stick to the advisories and regulations issued by the government. 

The Chief Minister has held a crucial meeting with the collectors during which he reviewed and took stock of the situations in the districts. On Thursday, he will be convening a meet with the medical experts who would suggest the government on the containment measures and the relaxations given during the lockdown, as the people are bracing for another extension of the lockdown from August 1. 

It has been expected that the government will be carrying forward the existing restrictions to August with some relaxation. The government will likely resume the inter-district public transportations from August 1, except in Chennai and the areas that fall under the limits of the Chennai police. The resumption of public transports would be a key resumption of having a gradual exit from the lockdown. 

According to the reports, the government will likely impose a complete lockdown on all Sundays and it is said to have been considering to include Saturday in the ambit of the complete lockdown. The reports suggested that the government may resume the zonal system of public transportations like how it functioned in the first week of June. The state government will be announcing its final decisions on Thursday after meeting the medical experts. 

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