Covid cases cross 1K-mark in TN

CHENNAI: The number of daily Covid-19 cases in TN breached the 1,000-mark after four months after 1,063 people tested positive on Thursday. Chennai alone reported 497 cases. Of the 38 districts, 35 reported new cases. There was no death.

The last time TN reported over 1,000 cases was on February 19 (1,051). Test positivity rate (TPR) on that day was 1.2% (82,053 samples tested). On Thursday, the TPR was 4.6% (22,946 samples tested).  Meanwhile, Health Minister Ma Subramanian on Thursday said his department was carrying out inspections across TN to contain the infection. 

About 50% of daily Covid-19 cases were from Chennai, and 112 streets in the city had over three Covid-19 positive cases and 25 streets had over five. Of the 2,225 active cases, 92% were under home isolation and the remaining were in hospitals. Five persons, who didn’t have facilities for home isolation, were at Government Communicable Diseases Hospital at Tondiarpet, Subramanian said. He, along with Chennai corporation officials, visited Kasturba Nagar, where a family cluster had been reported. 

He requested parents to not send their children to schools if they exhibit Covid symptoms. Even in the case of a mild cough or cold, parents should get their children tested. The health department had sent all cluster samples for genome sequencing and, so far, TN reported no omicron variant other than BA.4 and BA.5. Though the transmission was high, hospitalisation and oxygen requirement had come down, which was a characteristic of these variants, Subramanian said. Patients exhibited only mild symptoms such as fever, cold, and throat pain.

The 31st Covid-19 mega-vaccination camp would be held at one lakh locations on July 10. The officials have taken the line list of people eligible for first, second, and booster doses.  The health minister also participated in the artificial limb donation camp at Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital and distributed prosthetics to the disabled.