CHENNAI: The test positivity rate (TPR) in Chennai has risen to 23.6 per cent as the city has now been recording over 6,000 cases a day. It was at 20 per cent on April 29. The rise in TPR indicates that presently 23 out of every hundredth person is testing positive and that the spread is wider and faster in the community.
In the wake of hospitals being overburdened, the rise in TPR sends a worrying signal as the State prepares to ramp up beds and oxygen supply. The city on Wednesday recorded 6,291 cases and 58 deaths. Officials urged people to use Covid care centres for early treatment.
“Even now, deaths are mostly happening due to delay in getting tested and coming to healthcare centres. When we question a patient, they say they had symptoms for four to five days before they took a test,” said a corporation health official.
“In North Chennai, since it is a densely populated locality with houses stacked very close to each other, the spread was intense in the first wave. Royapuram and Tondiarpet were the worst-affected in the whole of Chennai,” said an Assistant Zonal Health Officer, pointing out that hence, the spread this time has been minimal there. Officials said their door-to-door fever staff encourages people to get vaccinated.
ZONEWISE BREAK-UP
Zone Active cases (In %)
Perungudi: 14
Sholinganallur: 11
Adyar: 11
Alandur: 11
Valasaravakkam: 11
Ambattur: 11
Tondiarpet: 7
Royapuram: 6
Thiruvottiyur: 6
Manali: 5
32,917 (9% of total cases) Active cases in Chennai corporation