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56-year-old man employed in TN CM’s office succumbs to COVID-19

The staffer was undergoing treatment at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital.

A 56-year-old staffer at the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s office succumbed to COVID-19 on Wednesday.

The man was employed as a senior private secretary to Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami in Chennai. He was recently diagnosed with COVID-19 and was undergoing treatment at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH). He died in the early hours of Wednesday at the hospital.

The Chief Minister expressed his deepest sympathies to the deceased’s family, in a statement released on Wednesday. He also promised a government job to one member from his family, based on their eligibility.

According to news reports, the victim was one of the five staff members in the Chief Minister’s office who had tested positive for the coronavirus in the past few days. Following a high number of infections at the Secretariat, an elaborate disinfection process was carried out in the premises on Saturday and Sunday. Two days ago, the Press Room at the Secretariat was also closed after a photographer of the Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) tested positive for novel coronavirus.

Tamil Nadu, as of Tuesday, has over 20,000 persons currently being treated for COVID-19, of which 15,257 are from Chennai alone. The death toll stands at 422 in Chennai as of Tuesday. In an attempt to curtail the spread of infection, the government of Tamil Nadu has also planned for an intensified lockdown in Chennai district and parts of Thiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu districts from June 19 to 30. While all forms of public transport, including auto rickshaws and cabs will be banned during the 12 days, grocery shops will be allowed to function only from 6 am to 2 pm. Though there is no bar on the movement of goods during the 12-day period, movement of people out of these areas will be allowed only for emergencies such as weddings, deaths and medical reasons. However, flight and train services will remain unaffected. 

Source: The News Minute