As city reopens, caution important now more than ever, warn doctors

As in the West, the city is now looking at the virus as part of their regular lives. However, this does not mean that the threat of infection has gone away. According to Dr Sivakumar, chief of medicine at Villupuram Government Medical College, while the State is adhering to masking and handwashing recommendations, social distancing remains an issue.

“In workplaces especially, there must be adequate space between people to ensure that there is no risk of infection. Public transportation is now operational in the city, but I recommend that people try to either take taxis or use their own vehicles. There will be rush hours in public transportation, which can cause crowding, and maintaining social distancing in such spaces will be difficult,” he said.

Recounting incidents of incorrect mask usage and disposal, Dr Sivakumar suggested that workplaces have separate biomedical waste disposal bins to prevent further spread of the virus as mask usage increases over the weeks.

According to Dr Hariharan, chief of medicine at Government Stanley Medical College Hospital, everybody needs to do their bit in the weeks moving forward.

“The pandemic has not ended yet. Personal accountability is of the greatest importance now more than ever. There will be no more hotspots for the disease, as people return to work in full effect, and so they need to be careful of what they come in contact with and their own safety measures,” he said.

Experts state that the impact of this decision will only be known in a few weeks’ time, based on the number of cases reported in the city. The Government has recommended that wor from home is followed wherever necessary, and the experts mirror this sentiment.