Corona capital: City’s 138 sends TN tally spiralling

In a highest single day jump in the number of COVID-19 cases, Tamil Nadu recorded a total number of 161 positive cases on Thursday taking the total tally 2,323 on Thursday. As it has been the trend for the past few days, Chennai accounted for 138 of all patients who tested positive over the past 24 hours.

While Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar in Central Chennai continues to have the highest number of cases, other areas, including Royapuram, Tondiarpet, Teynampet, Kodambakkam, Valasaravakkam and Tiruvottiyur

zones also remained the hotspot areas with the Corporation converting several neighbourhoods into

containment zones. So far, Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar alone has 135 active cases so farwith 36 new positive

cases added on Thursday.

According to a health department release, of the total cases in the city, 33 are primary cases while others are contacts. On Wednesday, the city had 37 primary cases while the number was 18 on Tuesday indicating the steady increase in the primary sources of the virus. “The source of contact for primary cases are under investigation,” a health department official said. As many as six children below the age of ten years are among those who contracted the virus.

Commenting on the rise in number of cases over the past few days, officials said that the testing of samples has been intensified with emphasis on Chennai and thus, more number of cases are appearing.

A total of 9,787 samples from 9,643 people were tested in the last 24 hours, while about 4,000 samples have been tested in Chennai alone.

“Despite lockdown, the cases in Chennai are increasing because the population density is high. We recommended absolute lockdown to reduce the number of cases in the city. But we are expecting the effectiveness of the complete lockdown to be reflected in the coming days only. However, there is lack of open space in the city when compared to other districts. Public has to co-operate as the population density in the city is equal to the population density of about three other districts put together. It is challenging but we have to contain the infection,” said public health director Dr K Kolandaisamy.

Among the other districts, Chengalpattu and Madurai recorded five cases each, while Ramanathapuram and Kancheepuram recorded three cases each. Perambalur recorded two cases, while Ariyalur, Cuddalore, Ranipet, Salem and Tiruvallur recorded one case each on Thursday. No new deaths were reported in past 24 hours, while 48 patients have been discharged from the hospitals post treatment, taking the total number of discharges to 1,258. The State has 1,035 active cases as on Thursday.