CHENNAI: As coronavirus cases surge in Chennai, the city corporation will get a new COVID care centre with close to 5,000 beds in a Tamil Nadu Housing Board tenement in Ambattur by the end of June.
The city recorded 1380 cases on Tuesday and 22 more people died, taking the total tally to 44,205 and deaths to 645. In the wake of this surge, the corporation is ramping up facilities across the city.
Addressing reporters here, after inspecting the new centre, Corporation Commissioner G Prakash said that the tenement has 1450 apartments and each apartment will have at least four beds.
“Thus the six tower building will have between 4500 to 5000 beds. Of the 1450 apartments, 450 will be given to doctors, nurses, paramedics and technicians while 1000 will be for patients,’’ he said.
People with mild symptoms would be admitted in the new COVID care centre.
Apart from this, beds are being ramped up at the Anna University as well. “The University has given us their Centre of Excellence and Silver Jubilee buildings. About 1,500 beds will be set up here,’’ Prakash said, adding that another 600 beds are ready already in the university where migrant workers were accommodated.
He said that in the 55 COVID-19 care centres in Chennai, there are a total of 17,500 beds and only 3,200 have been occupied so far.
Of the 55 COVID care centres, 24 have been taken over by the health department, while 12 managed by the Corporation are active. “In these 12 centres, close to 7000 beds are vacant and we have adequate space,’’ he said.
Prakash said that since there is no cluster or an outburst, there is no influx of patients requiring institutional quarantine. “Discharge rate is smooth every day, so many beds are available," he added.
Responding to queries on water scarcity in the COVID care centres, Prakash said that the corporation has appointed a person to sort out the issue.
Meanwhile, Chennai has tested 2.35 lakh samples so far, of which 85 percent were taken from government testing centres.
As of June 23, Royapuram has 2403 active cases, Tondiarpet has 2347, Anna Nagar has 2263, and Kodambakkam 2107.
The recovery rate, at 55.99 percent, is higher than the active cases which is 42.53 percent. Currently, 18,372 people are being treated for COVID-19 in the city while 23,756 have recovered. The mortality rate however has risen to 1.47 percent.