Cases on the rise as districts count costs of Chennai exodus – The New Indian Express

Express News Service

TIRUCHY/VELLORE: There has been a gradual increase in Covid-19 cases in the central, western and southern districts of Tamil Nadu over the last few days, and in that, the exodus from Chennai had a major role to play. The cases reported from outside Chennai and its neighbouring districts,  have gone up from 268 on June 14 to 744 on June 20. The exodus apart, a sharp increase in the testing is also the reason for more cases being identified. The samples tested in the State rose from 18,782 on June 14 to a substantial 33,231 by June 20.   

The influx of people from Chennai and the resultant spike in cases have spurred police across districts to tighten vigil at entry points. In the fortnight ending June 20, over 1,500 Covid cases were reported from across the central region. Of this, 556 cases were reported in the past 11 days. According to Health department sources, more than 90 per cent of the cases have a Chennai connection. Despite the government making e-pass mandatory for inter-district movement, people have managed to sneak through porous borders.

More  check posts in Tiruchy
A total of 684 people entered Tiruchy without e-pass in the last five days and have been placed under house quarantine, police said. Following this, police stepped up vigil at the entry points to the central districts. Besides the regular six routes  — Thuraiyur, Uppliyapuram, Siruganur, Kallakudi, Pettavaithalai and Namakal — check posts have been erected on all possible routes that one could take to enter the region.  

On Saturday, Salem district recorded the highest rise in Covid-19 cases on a single day so far, as 47 people including people returned from other states and districts tested positive. Speaking to Express, Salem Deputy Director for Health Services Dr J Nirmalson said that of the 47 cases, 34 belong to Salem district while six others were Chennai returness and three each returned from Maharashtra and Goa and one returned from Karanataka.

Bed shortage in Vellore
In Vellore, the mounting numbers have left authorities struggling for more infrastructure. With medical college hospitals and district headquarters hospitals flooded with steady flow of positive patients, they have almost run out of the beds. As a consequence, the top authorities in the frontline have begun to admit patients in government hospitals (GHs). Tiruvannamalai district has been feeling the heat with a steady flow of migrating people, particularly from Chennai and other States. 
Two Covid-19 patients died in Vellore and Tiruvannamalai districts on Saturday. A police station located at Mangalam in the suburbs of Tiruvannamalai was shut after a Sub Inspector there tested positive. Twenty- five personnel attached to the station were moved to a nearby polytechnic college and put under quarantine, an officer said. Two deaths were reported in Villupuram on Saturday, including a 50-year-old TNSTC conductor.    

16 of mask making unit infected
In the Union Territory of Puducherry, a traffic Sub-Inspector and 16 persons associated with a mask manufacturing company are among the new high of 53 fresh cases. With this the total number of cases have risen to 339 and active cases to 201 in the UT. In Virudhunagar, one patient who had exited Chennai after being tested positive at Kilpauk was identified and taken to Government Sivakasi  Hospital by the health officials. 

Sources said the 48-year-old man was tested positive at Kilpauk Medical College and was asked to get admitted there when he reportedly absconded from Chennai out of fear and reached Thirumangalam by a lorry, by Thursday. He had travelled by bus and auto to his native near Krishnankovil. However, based on information received from Chennai, the health officials got hold of him and took him to the Sivakasi GH. 

Six persons tested positive for Covid-19 in Krishnagiri on Saturday. Deputy Director of Health Services V Govindan said that 7, 816 samples have been tested in the district until Friday and the process will be intensified depending on the number of positive cases. About the fresh cases, he said, four of them — a 22-year-old man from Uthangarai, a 30-year-old man, a 35-year-old man and a 34-year-old man from Bargur — tested positive after returning to the district from Chennai. 

The 34-year-old man had contracted the infection from his wife. Two other patients — a 28-year-old man and his 28-year-old wife from Hosur — met their father-in-law at Vellore and contracted the infection from him. All the patients are receiving treatment at Krishnagiri District Government Headquarters Hospital, Govindan added.