Chennai

The panel held a review meeting with Chief Minister K. Palaniswami.

Prabhdeep Kaur, Deputy Director, National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE), said the expert committee didn't recommend lockdown extension as it was not the only way to control the virus spread.

The panel also took into account the socio-economic issues of the lockdown while making its recommendation, Kaur said. The panel has suggested tightening of restrictions in the areas where the infection rate was high.

It was for the government to take a call on lockdown extension, she said.

Attributing the spike to increased testing, she said over 80 per cent of new cases were of mild infections. The panel has recommended increase in number of tests in Madurai, Trichy, Vellore and Tiruvannamaai.

On Sunday, the number of coronavirus cases in the state was 82,275, and the death toll 1,029.

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