CHENNAI: In a significant dip, the number of streets with active Covid cases in the city has fallen to 513 as on Friday, from a whopping 8,402 recorded on July 5. The number of containment zones too has reduced to 23 across the 15 Corporation zones.
Among the zones, Ambattur has the highest number of streets (67) with 1,419 active cases. It remains the worst affected, followed by Kodambakkam with 63 streets and 1,347 active cases. Anna Nagar has 48 streets with active cases, while Tondiarpet has 42 and Royapuram has 38. A total of nine Corporation zones are free of containment areas, while three more zones – Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, Teynampet and Valsaravakkam – with only one containment zone each, are likely to be off the list soon.
Officials say the credit goes to micro-level containment strategies such as door-to-door screening and fever camps, which have resulted in more streets coming out of the virus’ clutch. While a majority of the zones are out of risk now, officials are battling hard to contain the spread in Ambattur and Anna Nagar zones.
“The doubling time in the city is 72.2 days, while in some north Chennai zones, the period is 150 days. We are looking forward to bringing out the same results in the central and southern zones too,’’ Corporation Commissioner G Prakash said. An average of 12,000 RT-PCR tests are being done in the city on a daily basis, with a positivity rate of eight per cent. The city’s overall recovery rate stands at 87 per cent.
Except for Ambattur which has 77 per cent recovery rate, the remaining zones have clocked a recovery rate of 80 per cent and above. Four zones – Manali, Tondiarpet, Royapuram and Teynampet – have recorded over 90 per cent recovery. With the city heading close to a total of eight lakh RT-PCR tests, the cumulative positivity rate stands at 13 per cent.
“By the end of August, we will try to bring down the rate to 6 per cent, and the curve will flatten gradually,” Prakash said, adding that containment activities, including high number of tests, will continue for the next four months in the city.
E-pass norms to be eased
Around 30-35 per cent more e-passes are now being issued, said the civic body chief. Earlier, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami had announced that the process to obtain e passes will be simplified. In addition to the three existing options – marriages, funerals and medical emergencies, two new options – travelling for work and migrant workers returning to city– have been added to the application system, Prakash said. “People who are not proficient in using computers should not worry. If they fail to upload documents correctly, we will send them a message and they can update the application,” he added.
Unused beds
As many as 17,500 beds are ready in the city but have not been used. Over the last 35 days, the occupancy rate has only been 3,300, said Corporation Commissioner G Prakash.