TN sees biggest spike in Covid-19 cases in single day, 161 reported in 11 dts
Chennai, Apr 30 () Tamil Nadu's Covid-19 positivecases continued going north on Thursday, with the staterecording century-plus infections for a third straight day, asthe capital city continued registering the bulk of patients.
As the second leg of the national lockdown nears its endin another three days, a medical panel constituted by thestate government said a complete relaxation of the curbs wasnot possible and only a graded exit could do. With Chennai topping the number of new cases of the deadlyvirus, a top civic official revealed 98 percent of them wereasymptomatic, even as the Chennai Corporation wanted allgovernment and privately run school buildings to be handedover to it by May 2 to take up preventive measures.
On Thursday, as many as 161 fresh cases, the highest fora single day so far, were reported from the state, taking thetotal to 2,323 infections, the Health department said.
Of the new cases, 138 were from Chennai, while 10 otherdistricts reported cases in single digits.
As many as 26 of the 37 districts in the state recordedno new patients today. A two-month old girl and an 81-year old man, both fromthe city, were among those who tested positive on Thursday. A total of 1,258 people have been discharged in the stateafter treatment, with Chennai topping the table over number ofrecoveries, a health department bulletin said.
With no fatalities on today, the toll from the pandemicstood at 27.
The state had reported 104 cases on April 29 and 121 onApril 28.
The department said there were 1,035 active cases undertreatment as on today while 1,15,761 samples tested negative. According to the Greater Chennai Corporation, 65 per centof cases were from three zones in the city, and a team hasbeen continuously monitoring the containment zones here. The team has been involved in ensuring essentials weresupplied to the people in containment zones. Briefing reporters, Corporation Commissioner G Prakashsaid, "based on our experience at the Corporation and afterinteraction with medical team on a daily basis, (it is found)nearly 98 per cent of cases were of patients who wereasymptomatic".
With the city witnessing sharp spikes in its tally of thevirus infected, the civic body approached the city's districtadministration with a plea to transfer all its schoolsbuildings. In a letter to District Collector R Seethalakshmi,Prakash said, '... as per the Disaster Management Act 2005 theDistrict Authority may identify buildings and places whichcould, in the event of any threatening situation or disaster,be used as relief centres or camps and make arrangements forwater supply and sanitation". "In this regard, it is hereby requested to take over theprivate and government school buildings for COVID19 relatedworks by May 2," he said.
The expert committee formed by the state government toadvise it on tackling COVID19 has said the ongoing lockdownscheduled to end on May 3 cannot be lifted across the state inone go but that only a phased exit was possible. The expert group held discussions with Chief Minister KPalaniswami on the virus situation in Tamil Nadu, PrabhdeepKaur from the National Institute of Epidemiology, run by theIndian Council of Medical Research, and a key member of thecommittee, told reporters. She also said lifestyle changes with increased focus onpersonal hygiene would be a key aspect as "this virus is goingto be with us for a long time." Kaur said testing has been increased in the last twoweeks and therefore more cases have also been detected.
The distribution of the cases was not equal across thestate as there was an increase in some districts while dip inothers.
"Therefore the situation is not equal," she said.
On the relaxation of lockdown, she said it "cannot berelaxed in all parts at the same time. The situation is notconducive for complete relaxing," of the curbs. "But even if the lockdown is lifted, it can be donegradually only," she said and stressed on personal hygienepractices like handwash and using masks in public.
There can be no relaxation on curbs against massgatherings, she added.
Meanwhile, a few upscale hotels in the city have offeredtheir rooms to the state government to accommodate the medicalprofessionals involved in the fight against the dreaded virus.
Doctors and nurses have been accommodated in hotels closeto the hospitals they work. The state government has madearrangements for their travel to the work place and back,officials said.
As the four-day total shutdown in Chennai, Madurai andCoimbatore Corporation limits ended on April 29 night, peoplecame out in large numbers to buy various essential items onThursday.
To enable people to stock up their essential commoditieswithout any hassle, the government had allowed shops sellinggroceries and vegetables to function till 5 PM today, makingit clear the transaction hours will revert to the earliertimings of 6 am to 1 pm, in adherence to the lockdown norms.
Several roads in these cities were buzzing with people,many of whom were seen queuing up outside ATMs to withdrawmoney after a four-day gap.
Besides Chennai, its neighbouring districts ofChengalpattu, Kancheepuram and Thiruvallur, had also enforcedthe four-day total lockdown as part of their fight against thevirus. VIJ CORR SAROH ROH