CHENNAI: With the continuing increase in Covid 19 cases, the city corporation is revisiting its testing strategies. For a start, it is now set to increase targeted sample collection to 30,000 a day from the 22,000 samples it is currently testing across the city on a daily basis.
A circular sent by Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi further states that in all commercial establishments and their hostels, banks, restaurants, government and private offices, and other places which tend to get crowded, samples are to be collected for testing once every 15 days. Those working here should be fully vaccinated, the circular stated.
The Commissioner has also written to the deans/registrars/principals or heads of institutions to submit a daily report of vaccination of their students to Greater Chennai Corporation Officers.
"Now, the spread of Covid 19 is rising up and a new Covid 19 variant Omicron is also rising. Covid 19 vaccination is the most important protective measure. It is observed that some of the students above 18 years and staff are not fully vaccinated in your institution," the circular states.
Corporation officials told TNIE that one of the focus areas of Covid 19 testing is in generally crowded areas, so as to avoid super spreaders.
"We are focusing both on vaccination and testing as our main priorities in the fight against Covid 19," said a corporation official.
The city corporation also reopened 15 of its screening centers where persons infected with Covid 19 will be screened preliminarily before being guided onto the next course of treatment. If the number of cases continues to increase, officials are also set to reopen the 1000-bedded Covid care centre at Chennai Trade Centre in Nandambakkam.
The city recorded 876 new Covid 19 cases on Monday, a 120% increase in only four days from December 30. The highest number of active Covid 19 cases are in Adyar, Kodambakkam, and Teynampet zones whereas Thiru Vi Ka Nagar registered the highest percentage of Covid 19 deaths.