Tamil Nadu Covid-19 news live: State reports 7,819 new Covid-19 cases, 25 deaths

DMK leader and MP T R Baalu on Wednesday tested positive for Covid-19 and was admitted to a hospital in Chennai. His condition is stable. The MP’s son MLA T R B Rajaa tweeted urging people who came in contact with his father in the last few days to get themselves tested for Covid-19. “My father Thiru #TRBaalu has tested positive for #Covid-19 and has been admitted to hospital. He is stable and doing fine now. I urge everyone who has been in contact with him for the past week to get themselves tested immediately.” READ MORE HERE

As Covid-19 cases surge, Covid awareness antics too reappear. Southern Railway's Chennai division held a Covid-19 awareness programme at Egmore railway station on Tuesday, in which an RPF personnel dressed up as a coronavirus performed a play with her colleagues detailing the seriousness of the second wave and distributed masks to passengers. READ MORE HERE

The flower section at the Koyambedu wholesale market was packed on Tuesday, celebrated as ‘Ugadi (Telugu New Year), but few were seen following distancing norms. It was also a day ahead of Tamil New Year. The scant regard for rules is a matter of concern as the number of Covid-19 cases continues to increase in the city. A large number of retail traders struggled to handle the huge throng of customers seeking flowers for the two back-to-back festival days. While some traders preferred to keep masks away, the bustling market had little space for the movement of customers, most of them walking close to each other. The prices too spiked as the wholesale market received only 120 tonnes of flowers on Tuesday, much below the usual quantity.

Despite a ban on entry at beaches in Chennai and neighbouring districts on weekends and government holidays, hundreds of people, several of them without masks, thronged the Marina promenade on Tuesday. The crowd was confined to Kamarajar Salai as the cops did not allow them to enter the service road and the beach area. Many attempted to click selfies at the 'Namma Chennai' point even as police and security guards had a tough time in trying to keep the crowd away from the seashore as part of measures to check the second surge of Covid-19 cases.

Government bus drivers and conductors are having a tough time in controlling crowd inside buses. Many of them have been penalised of late for not adhering to Covid-19 safety guidelines, Squabbles between passengers and bus crew are becoming common at bus stops in the city's suburbs and rural areas. One MTC employee pointed out that commuters pick up fights with crew when they are restricted from entering a bus without masks. In Chennai, senior authorities have begun stopping overcrowded MTC buses halfway and deboarding excess passengers. Transport unions want the state transport department to further increase the frequency of buses. Nainaar said MTC will have to deploy its 500 spare buses (in reserve) if the current frequency is inadequate to handle the crowd.

As Covid-19 expands into tier-II cities and towns, hospitals across the state reported increase in admissions and shortage of drugs on Tuesday, when 6,984 people tested positive. There were 49,985 people undergoing treatment for the viral infection – a 10-time jump from 4,600 cases last month. Chennai reported 2,482 new cases and continued to top the new cases list. Besides Chennai, clusters were detected in Coimbatore (504 new cases), Thanjavur (214), Tiruppur (165), Madurai (254) and Trichy (199). READ FULL STORY

Tamil Nadu is unlikely to face oxygen shortage even if active Covid cases rise above last year’s peak, TNMSC MD P Umanath tells TOI’s Pushpa Narayan. READ FULL INTERVIEW

The Greater Chennai corporation plans to double the number of its fever surveillance workers and focus volunteers. From 6,000 fever workers and 1,000 focus volunteers, the civic body wants to increase their strength to 12,000 and 2,000 respectively. A recruitment drive to this effect has already begun. A senior corporation official said they will appoint the same volunteer strength as July last year to ensure extensive surveillance. “Appointment has already started at ward level. Mostly, workers employed earlier are being contacted as they are already trained and know the protocol. They also share a rapport with residents and are aware of the addresses. But many of them have gone back to their old jobs. So in such areas, we are appointing new people,” said an official.

Waiting for allotment of an independent room or admission to a specific hospital can delay treatment and increase risk of morbidity and mortality, doctors and health department officials said here on Tuesday. On Tuesday, when the city had about 18,673 active patients, there was an increase in admissions to hospitals – both public and private. Many private hospitals reported “no vacancy” in oxygen beds, ICUs and ventilators. Of the 114 private hospitals treating Covid-19 cases, 47 updated on the state Covid webpage that all their ventilators were occupied, 54 said there were no ICU beds and 41 said they did not have oxygen beds. But, several hospitals including self-financing medical college hospitals had zero admissions. READ MORE HERE

As Covid-19 cases surge, Covid awareness antics too reappear. Southern Railway's Chennai division held a Covid-19 awareness programme at Egmore railway station on Tuesday, in which an RPF personnel dressed up as a coronavirus performed a play with her colleagues detailing the seriousness of the second wave and distributed masks to passengers.

Despite a surge of Covid cases in Tamil Nadu, guest workers say they don't fear the pandemic anymore. They said they were ready to face the second wave at their workplace, rather than at home. Read more