Tamil Nadu extends COVID curbs till Dec 15, permits inter-state public transport

Amid growing concerns regarding the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, the Tamil Nadu government announced on Tuesday that it has extended existing restrictions and relaxations in the state till December 15.

The government has also conveyed that inter-state public transport between Tamil Nadu and Kerala will be allowed.

The southern state on Tuesday reported 720 fresh cases of COVID-19. It also registered 758 recoveries and 9 deaths in the past 24 hours, according to a health bulletin. The number of active cases in Tamil Nadu now stands at 8,244.

So far, Tamil Nadu has recorded 27,26,917 cases of COVID-19, 26,82,192 recoveries and 36,481 deaths from the deadly virus.

On Monday, the Tamil Nadu government said that no case of the latest variant of coronavirus, 'Omicron', has been detected in the state so far. The government insisted that surveillance has been stepped up across the airports to prevent its spread

State Chief Secretary V Irai Anbu held a review meeting with District Collectors and other top officials. He urged them to ensure all precautionary measures to prevent the spread of Omicron, declared as a 'Variant of Concern' by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

As per the official release, Anbu told bureaucrats that no case of the said coronavirus variant has been detected in Tamil Nadu. He informed them that measures, including strict surveillance of international air travellers, expediting the vaccination drive and conforming to mask behaviour were necessary to check the spread of the virus in the state.

The release explained that incoming travellers from South Africa, where Omicron was first detected, and European countries, including the UK, besides Botswana, China and Israel, should compulsorily undergo the RT-PCR test and that they would be allowed to go home only if tested negative for the virus.

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