Chennai: Covid care centers go vacant as the positivity rate goes down

As the test positivity rate and daily number of new cases came down less than 1 per cent and 250 respectively, less than 2 per cent beds at the COVID care centers are occupied as on Friday.

According to a Chennai Corporation official, less than 350 COVID-19 patients are admitted at the COVID care centers. "There are more than 17,000 beds in the COVID care centers across the city, where educational institutions, unoccupied TNSCB tenements and Nandambakkam Trade Center have been converted in to treatment facilities for asymptomatic cases and persons with mild symptoms," the official said.

During the first wave, the civic body had created more than 22,000 beds in COVID care centers but none of them were oxygen support beds. However, owing to a large number of patients required oxygen support during the months of April and May this year, several beds at the COVID care centers have been provided with oxygen connections.

Meanwhile, the civic body has instructed not to let the guard down as another wave is anticipated. "We are still keeping the private buildings, where the beds are created. But we can not maintain the facilities for a longer time and we will start handing over the buildings to the owners. However, we will continue to maintain the COVID care center in KP Park TNSCB tenements, where more than 4,000 are provided," the official added.

As of Friday morning, there are 2,931 active cases of which only 10 per cent are in COVID care centers. As per the state government portal, more than 6,200 beds out of 6,950 beds were vacant.

On the other hand, none of the zones in Chennai Corporation, except Teynampet, has more than 300 active cases. Teynampet has 309 active cases while Thiruvottiyur, Manali and Sholinganallur have less than 100 cases with 84, 47 and 85 respectively.