Clusters push up Covid-19 cases in Coimbatore, Chennai

CHENNAI: Fresh cases that were declining across Tamil Nadu for more than two months have started to rise marginally over the past two days. They rose by 100 cases to 1,859 on Thursday. On Friday, the state reported 1,947 new cases. Coimbatore, where industries are back to working at full strength, and Chennai are seeing small clusters that are contributing to the rise in cases.
This has not come as a complete surprise to the state health department, which expected the decline in cases to slow two weeks after lockdown relaxations. A week after every phase of unlocking, the rate of fall declined.
"Any spike in cases is a cause of concern particularly with neighbouring Kerala reporting high numbers," said health minister Ma Subramanian. In February 2021, when the epidemic wave was receding, similar clusters - hostels, hotels, and family reunions - marked the beginning of the deadly wave.
"It has been a little more than two weeks since industries opened to full strength in the western region," said Coimbatore deputy director of public health Dr Senthil Kumar. On Friday, the district crossed the 200-mark. "We have now identified two areas - Sulur and Karamadai - which are beginning to see an increase in cases. These areas have a lot of industries and people movement," he said. The challenge now is to ensure the curve does not go up again.
As a precaution, the state health department has instructed districts to ensure they track all index cases and test more people against the infection.
Over the past one week, RTPCR tests have gone up from about 1.3 lakh to 1.5 lakh across the state.
In Chennai, the civic officials have also noticed a marginal increase in clusters, particularly from family meetings, parties and dinners, besides those from workplaces and markets. Individual choices and indiscretions on Covid-appropriate behaviour play a vital role, said health secretary J Radhakrishnan. "Decline in mask or social distancing protocols have proved to be one of the biggest causes for spike," he said. On June 26, the city reported 122 new cases, and on Friday it was 215.