The State government has formed zonal Special Task Teams comprising senior IAS/IPS officers to follow up and ensure that all contact persons of COVID-19 positive patients are traced across the State.
The teams would also make sure that the guidelines to control the spread of the disease are implemented effectively and welfare schemes rolled out by the government reached the intended beneficiaries. In an order issued on Saturday, Chief Secretary K. Shanmugam said 12 teams each comprising one IAS and IPS officer would be posted to coordinate with the respective District Collectors in monitoring prompt contact tracing of positively tested persons and other cases on a day-to-day basis besides ensuring quick sampling, testing and releasing of results in a time-bound manner.
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The officers would visit quarantine areas and identify persons with symptoms of COVID-19 for testing. They would check the availability of test kits, Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), masks etc., and ensure essential supplies in the quarantine/containment areas. The zonal Special Task Teams would liaise with the authorities concerned to make sure that the proper treatment protocol is followed in COVID-19 isolation beds/hospitals, including private hospitals.
The move comes a day after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami expressed concern over the risk of the State slipping into Stage 3 of COVID-19 transmission. As many as 834 persons, a majority being those who returned from Delhi after attending the Tablighi Jamaat conference, have tested positive for the Novel Coronavirus in the State. Heath workers, Revenue and Police officials are trying to locate thousands of their contacts, including family members, close relatives and others.
Assigned officers
Chennai district: IAS Rajendra Kumar, IAS and ADGP Abash Kumar, both headquartered in Chennai.
Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chengalpet: IAS T. Udhayachandran and Inspector General of Police T.S. Anbu, headquartered in Chennai.
Vellore, Tirupathur, Ranipet and Tiruvannamalai: IAS Mangat Ram Sharma and IGP V. Vanitha, IG, Railways, to be headquartered in Vellore.
Villupuram, Cuddalore and Kallakurichi: IAS L. Subramanian and ADGP K. Vannia Perumal to be headquartered in Villupuram
Salem, Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri: IAS R. Kirlosh Kumar and ADGP M.N. Manjunatha to be headquartered in Salem.
Erode: IAS T.N. Venkatesh and SP S. Lakshmi
Tiruppur, Coimbatore and The Nilgiris: IAS Kumar Jayanth and ADGP Shankar Jiwal to be headquartered in Tiruppur
Tiruchi, Ariyalur, Perambalur and Pudukottai: IAS R Anandakumar and ADGP Shailesh Kumar Yadav to be headquartered in Tiruchi.
Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam: IAS M.S. Shanmugam and IGP M.C. Sarangan to be headquartered in Thanjavur
Madurai, Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram and Theni: IAS C. Kamaraj and IGP S. Murugan to be headquartered in Madurai.
Karur, Namakkal and Dindigul: IAS Munianathan and ADGP Abhay Kumar Singh to be headquartered in Karur
Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Kanniyakumari, Tenkasi and Virudhunagar: IAS M. Karunakaran and ADGP Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal to be headquartered in Tirunelveli
