CHENNAI: Continuing the trend, the State again recorded its highest single-day spike with 6,785 new Covid-19 cases, on Friday. As many as 88 people succumbed to the infection on the day, taking the toll to 3,320. Chennai alone recorded 1,299 positive cases and remained stable, while its neighbouring districts of Chengalpet, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur recorded 419, 349 and 378 cases respectively.
After Chennai, Virudhunagar topped the State list on Friday with 424 cases. According to a bulletin issued by the Directorate of Public Health, the State tested a whopping 65,150 samples from 63,182 people on the day. Also 6,504 people who recovered from the infection were discharged from hospitals.
Chief Secretary K Shanmugam on Friday held discussions with Collectors of all districts, except Chennai. The meeting assumes significance as the number of positive cases are going up in several districts and the current phase of lockdown is ending within a week.
Meanwhile, Health Minister C Vijayabaskar and Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan inspected oxygen tank construction work at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital campus. Nine out of the Chennai city corporation’s 15 zones are now free of barricades, as the number of containment areas in the city has dropped from 230 to 62 in the last one month.
Drop in containment zones
Nine out of the Chennai city corporation’s 15 zones are now free of barricads, as the number of containment zones in the city has dropped from 230 to 62 in the last one month.
Kodambakkam, which housed 134 containment zones following a huge spike in the number of positive cases during lockdown, now has just 22 containment zones. The number of positive cases in Chennai recorded a 0.8 per cent increase in the last seven days, and the city’s positivity rate as on Friday is 11.23 per cent. For a zone to be removed from containment, it must not have even one active case for 14 continuous days while for a new zone to be marked as containment, it must have five index cases and 20 positive cases.
‘Govt following WHO guidelines to declare toll’
Minister RB Udhayakumar, on Friday, said WHO protocols were being followed in declaring Covid deaths in TN. He was responding to DMK chief MK Stalin’s allegations that government was hiding the actual Covid toll
Independence Day to be a quiet affair this year
In view of the Covid pandemic, a large gathering will not be allowed at Fort St George for Independence Day celebrations this year. Covid-19 warriors would be honoured on the day
State toll 3,320 , Today 88