The Tamil Nadu government onTuesday advised information technology companies operating in the state to adhere to the government's decision of extending lockdown till May 3 and directed employees to continue to take up work from home.Minister for revenue and disaster management R B Udhayakumar, who also holds information technology portfolio, met senior department executives and top officials from the IT industry here and held a review meeting.During his brief interaction, the minister referred to the decision of the Karnataka, Punjab, Telangana, Maharashtra and Gujarat governments of extending the shutdown till May 3.Noting that the state government too,based on the recommendations of an expert committee, decided to extend the lockdown till May 3, he said, IT companies considering the intensity of the virus should adhere to the Chief Minister's order (by remaining shut)."I urge that IT employees should continue to follow the earlier order of working from home till May 3," he said.He said people's lives assume greater significance since it has been identified that 80 per cent of COVID19 cases remain asymptomatic in the country.On Monday, the Union Health Ministry had said that 80 per cent of the COVID19 patients were either asymptomatic or show mild symptoms, indicating that it is a major area of concern."The industry can be revived from this crisis later," Udhayakumar said and appealed to the companies to extend their support for the lockdown.On Monday, the state government said prohibitory orders enforced in the state to implement the ongoing coronavirus-triggered shutdown will continue till May 3 so as to take stringent measures for checking its spread.However, due decisions would be taken based on prevailing situation on inputs constituted by an expert committee the government had said.As many as 1,520 persons have been affected due to coronavirus in Tamil Nadu while 17 people have succumbed to the infection.
