3 years of jail for those who try to block funeral of coronavirus patients

Chennai : Tamil Nadu government on Sunday passed an ordinance that awards three years of jail to the people who try to block the funeral of coronavirus patients in the state.

The decision from the government came after reports of protest from several places against the burial of two doctors who died of COVID-19 in the state recently. In one of the incident, health workers were attacked by the general public.

According to the new ordinance, hurdling the burial or funeral is now a criminal offence.

Under section 74 of The Tamil Nadu Public Health Act, 1939, people who indulge in such acts will have to face a minimum jail term of one year while the maximum award will be three years. The offence will also carry a fine.

As per updates on Saturday, the coronavirus cases in the state went up to 1,821. On April 23, a total of 54 new cases were reported and 90 people were discharged and the following day, 72 tested positive and 114 got cured.