Amid the surge in COVID-19 cases in Tamil Nadu, the Health Department has made elaborate arrangements to ensure safe polling, according to Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan.
Speaking to reporters after an inspection at the State vaccine store on Monday, he noted that the Election Commission and Chief Electoral Officer had asked the Health Department to take up COVID-19 related arrangements for polling.
“All measures to ensure safe polling have been completed. In particular, we will ensure the cleanliness of the booths and the availability of hand sanitisers, face-shields for polling staff, masks, single-use rubber gloves for voters, PPE kits for patients with COVID-19 and infrared thermometers,” he said.
Dr. Radhakrishnan said all persons should mandatorily wear masks when coming to vote without expecting masks to be made available at the polling venues. The District Election Officers have made arrangements to ensure physical distancing at the venues.
COVID-19 positive patients can cast their votes from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on polling day, while those found having high temperature in screening would be issued tokens to come and vote between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m., he added.
