Flagging concerns about incomplete information provided by some private labs, the Greater Chennai Corporation has urged all labs to ensure that they collect and verify contact information as well the Aadhaar numbers of all persons who get tested for COVID-19.

The city on Wednesday recorded 1,012 cases, the highest spike in a single day so far.

Incomplete lists provided by private labs were hampering efforts to trace some patients who had tested positive. “As a result, untraced patients will be a source of infection to many others and may not be able to get proper treatment if they do not know the result properly,” according to a notification issued by the civic body.

Apart from the complete address and phone number of the person getting tested, the labs have also been instructed to collect the Aadhaar number.

“If a person does not have an Aadhaar number and a sample has been taken, he shall be placed under quarantine till the results are declared,” the notification said.

There are 10 government labs and 13 private labs in the city approved to test for COVID-19, and these labs are required to report diagnosed cases to the Health and Family Welfare Department and the Corporation.

Establishments sealed

The civic body has been sealing shops and cracking down on businesses that have been violating physical distancing norms over the last two days after some lockdown norms were relaxed.

As part of the precautionary measures taken in zone 12, the Corporation sealed 42 establishments found violating physical distancing norms over the last two days. The Corporation Commissioner and other officials carried out inspections at MGR Nagar and Rani Anna Nagar.