Health dept on Covid alert; keeps close watch on home, community clusters

CHENNAI: Even as State Health Department has been asked to intensify testing and monitoring of cluster of COVID cases prevent a surge in cases, Tamil Nadu recorded 56 cases on Friday.

The numbers that were in single digits last month spiked every day since the first week of March. TN’s positivity rate crossed 1.5% while several districts reported TPR of 1.9%.

Daily count has also surged, and the testing of cases stands about 3,000-3,200 samples. While the State usually reported 150-170 weekly cases, it has surged to around 250-270.

No specific variant has been identified for the spike.

Meanwhile, officials of the State Health Department have called it an outbreak, but “the community and household clusters will be monitored and the whole genomic sequencing will be conducted,” officials say.

The Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine Dr TS Selvavinayagam said, “Regular monitoring of cases and testing of symptomatic individuals is being done as per protocols by the Union Health Ministry.”

The cases of fever, H3N2 and other vector borne diseases are also being reported in the State but none of these infections are alarming. The state health department officials say that there are no major outbreaks being reported but all the symptomatic people will be tested and whole genomic sequencing will be conducted for imported cases and community outbreaks.