Covid cases cross 700 for 1st time in 64 days

Covid cases cross 700 for 1st time in 64 days

55 Kids From A Pvt School Test Positive

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:15.03.2021 

Fresh Covid-19 infections in Tamil Nadu crossed the 700-mark once again after 64 days. Sunday’s tally of 759 new cases was the highest since January 10, when the state recorded 724 cases. Cases had been on the decline since January 10, before the gradually started to rise from mid-Febuary.

Of the new cases, 55 were students from a private school at Ammapettai in Thanjavur district. "We have set up special screening camps in all 24 villages from where the students hailed. Around 1,200 people have been tested so far. A committee has been formed to study the cause for the cluster even when the school followed standard operating procedures (SOP)," said M Govinda Rao, Thanjavur district collector. Tamil Nadu health secretary J Radhakrishnan said people tend to violate SOPs when they gather in groups and requested parents not to send their children to school if they had symptoms such as fever or cold. In the past one week, the number of active cases has increased by 22%. At present, there are 4,870 people undergoing treatment.

Tamil Nadu's case fatality ratio has hovered around 1.5% for almost three months now. With another four people succumbing to the virus in the 24 hours ended Sunday afternoon, the state's Covid toll increased to 12,547 -- second highest in the country after Maharashtra (52,861).

All four deceased were from Chennai region and were aged above 60 and had co-morbidities such as diabetes or hypertension.

The infection rate outpaced the discharge rate in Chennai, Chengalpet, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur. Chennai reported 294 new cases on Sunday and Chengalpattu 64, against 30 two weeks ago.

Coimbatore had 58 new cases, third highest in the state. Tirupur (33) and Erode

(22) too witnessed an increased in infection rate. The situation was better in south Tamil Nadu where all ten districts including Madurai (11) reported fewer than a dozen new cases on Sunday. Kallakurichi was the only in the state to have no new cases. Responding to the spike in cases, TN has increased testing. Last week, TN labs were screening around 55,000 samples. On Sunday, as many as 67,269 samples were tested.