Covid-19 cases in Chennai on the rise again, 67 die in Tamil Nadu – Times of India

CHENNAI: Covid-19 cases in Chennai are once again increasing at a much higher rate compared to the state average. Chennai last week had 9,868 active cases. The number is 11,320 now — a 14.7 % increase. In the same period, Tamil Nadu’s active cases grew only by 0.2 %. The state now has 46,263 people undergoing treatment.
However, the daily death rate hasn’t gone up and is hovering around the 60-70 mark. On Wednesday, 67 succumbed to the disease and five among them had no co-morbidities. This took the state’s Covid death toll to 9,520.
With 1,295 new infections reported on Wednesday, Chennai’s positivity rate was nearing 10%. In the three neighbouring districts –Chengalpattu, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram — 817 people tested positive.
After Chennai, western Tamil Nadu reported a high number of cases. Almost onethird of them were in Coimbatore (574). The local body had started containment zones yet again. It had put the practice on hold for a while as cases dropped. As cases are on the rise, Coimbatore Corporation Commissioner P Kumaravel Pandian said streets with three or more cases will be sealed for 14 days.
In Salem too, infection and death count has been increasing. The district has 2,794 active cases — second highest in TN next to Chennai.
The situation in the southern part of the state is getting better. Tirunelveli (93), Madurai (88), Theni (68), Virudhunagar (16), Sivagangai (27) and Dindigul (32) reported fresh cases in double digits and the number of active cases has fallen compared to the previous week. The death rate too was low here. Only two deaths were reported in the region on Wednesday.
In central Tamil Nadu, there were six deaths. But some districts such as Thanjavur (266 new cases) were moving into the danger zone with a 32% increase in the number of active cases. Trichy had 97 new cases.
Commenting on it, public health expert K Kolandaisamy said, “With lockdown norms relaxed, cases are increasing in one area and decreasing in other areas. The disease is spreading equally among vulnerable and healthy people also. We have reached a stalemate now and the situation will remain the same at least for another two months. But we are definitely in the decline phase”.