Consider imposing complete lockdown in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry for 2 days from May 1: Madras HC

The Madras High Court on Monday directed the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry governments to contemplate declaring full lockdown for 2 days on May 1 and May 2, when counting of votes polled within the April 6 Assembly elections can be taken up.
The first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy gave the suggestion whereas passing additional interim orders on a problem regarding the alleged scarcity of Remdesivir, ventilators and beds, and diversion of oxygen cylinders to different states.

Based on newspaper reviews, the judges took up the difficulty by themselves.
On these two days, motion of autos utilized in reference to votes counting and emergency companies alone shall be allowed.
An announcement to this impact could be made prematurely, ideally on April 28, in order that the individuals of Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory could be placed on alert, the judges stated, including, they may additionally publish sure primary pointers to be adopted on these days by the Covid-affected individuals.

Both Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have put in a collection of curbs beginning Monday, reminiscent of closure of locations of worship, spas, magnificence parlours and salons to stem the unfold of coronavirus.
Earlier, Advocate-General Vijay Narayan knowledgeable the bench that steps could be taken to transform all of the 1,050 MTs of oxygen, to be generated on the Sterlite unit in Tuticorin, match for medical use.
An all-party assembly headed by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Okay Palaniswami had earlier within the day allowed the plant, closed since May 2018 over air pollution considerations, to supply oxygen just for a four-month interval.
As regards the question from the bench on curbing sale of Remdesivir, utilized in Covid-19 therapy, in black market, the Health Secretary submitted that an solely authorised centre to promote the drug has been established in Kilpauk within the metropolis.
A vial could be offered for Rs 1,400, that too solely to those that produce obligatory paperwork. Special squads have been shaped to nab the black-marketeers, he stated, including 2,400 extra beds could be added by the primary week of May.

The Additional Solicitor-General informed the judges that sure amount of oxygen cylinders had been diverted to neighbouring states like Andhra Pradesh and Telangana solely after session with the state authorities.
The request of the state authorities to not divert oxygen anymore could be taken up with the Centre, he added. Seemingly satisfied with the submissions, the bench adjourned the matter until Thursday.