Amid bracing up the disturbing development of the resurgence of COVID-19 menace in the state with a sharp spike in fresh cases, the Tamil Nadu government has unveiled a set of new measures on how it plans to curb the spread even as the state is gearing up for the crucial assembly polls. The measures have come when the state is witnessing 2,000 fresh cases in a day.

The measures include pacing up the testing, increasing vaccinations, and installing more COVID care centers. The government has decided to administer the first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine to all those who have been involved in election-related duties. It also has announced that all COVID care centers that were functioning during the first wave of spread would be brought back to force to treat the patients affected by the viral infection. 

The government has issued a press release in which it has asserted that the measures will be initiated to bring down the fatality rate and aggressive RT-PCR testing will be done in the coming days with a special focus on the districts of Tiruvannamalai, Trichy, Tirupur, Krishnagiri, Salem, Dindigul, Ranipet, and Nagapattinam, where the cases have been increasing. The government has also said that the contacts of COVID-19 patients and symptomatic people can get themselves tested for the disease. 

The government has also been installing more fever clinics and camps across the state, when it has been going through the election fervor by taking a break from the COVID-19 protocols and guidelines as the campaign drives from the political leaders for the polls are witnessing heavy breach of protocols with scores of people forgetting to wear masks. While the parties are busy in the election campaigns, the public health department is surfaced with the challenge of keeping the second wave of the pandemic at bay.

The health department is more concerned about the rise in the fatality rate as in the last seven days, the COVID-19 fatality rate in Chennai has been standing at 0.6% while Chengalpattu and Thanjavur districts have recorded 0.8% and 0.5% respectively. The government has been filled with speculations of whether the lockdown will be imposed again as some of the measures had prefixed the rise of such speculations. 

Recently, as part of the measure to contain the spread, the state government had ordered the schools and colleges to shut down the physical classes and go for the new normal of online classes. The physical classes were only allowed for class 12 in schools and final year students in colleges. The government has also been booking the people under Public Health Act 1939 for not wearing masks and fail to observe physical distancing at public places. 

According to reports, the state government has imposed a fine on 98,641 individuals since March 16 and collected Rs 2.09 crore for not wearing masks. It must be noted that the Central government has unveiled the second phase of the vaccination drive earlier this month for inoculating vaccine shots for people above 60 years and people from 45 to 59 years with specific comorbidities. However, in the wake of the sharp surge of cases, the Center has now announced that all persons aged between 45 and 59 years, irrespective of comorbidities, can receive the first shot of the vaccine from April 1. 

Both the Center and the state governments have been campaigning that the vaccines are safe and effective and appealing to the eligible people to get the vaccine. According to the Tamil Nadu health department, the state has reported 8,84,094 COVID-19 cases so far as of Tuesday - March 30 including 2,342 fresh cases that were reported on Tuesday. Of the total cases, 14,846 are active, 8,56,548 have been discharged, and 12,700 had died of the viral infection.