CHENNAI: The Service Doctors and Post Graduates Association has requested the Tamil Nadu Health Department to issue guidelines limiting health services, academic activities and official meetings in order to ensure uninterrupted services as Covid-19 cases continue to increase in the State. On Monday, Tamil Nadu reported 13,990 new cases, which took the number of active cases in the State to 62,767.
While Chennai reported 6,190 cases, its neighbouring districts of Chengalpattu, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram reported 1,696, 1054 and 508 cases respectively. The four districts accounted for 67.5 per cent of all new cases in TN.
National Institute of Epidemiology deputy director Dr Prabhdeep Kaur on Twitter said the capital and Chengalpattu had a test positivity rate over 10 per cent and so gatherings and non-essential activities should be barred in these districts.
However in some good news, NIE epidemiologist Manikanda Nesan S tweeted that Chennai’s R naught (the number of people to whom an infected person can spread the virus) had declined to 2.99 on Monday from an all-time maximum of 3.76 on January 7.
SDPGA’s memorandum to the health department came as Vellore’s Christian Medical College reported a cluster of 200 people on Sunday and five undergraduate students at the Madurai Medical College tested positive on Monday.