Infection rate stabilizes at higher level in Tamil Nadu, death toll goes up to 111
CHENNAI: In another day of relentless spike in incidence of Covid-19 positive cases, the total number of affected patients has shot up to 16,277 on Sunday, with 765 more coronavirus cases for the day. The death toll in Tamil Nadu due to the virus jumped to 111 on a day eight more deaths were confirmed by Health and Family welfare department.
However, a quick comparison of the day-wise Covid-19 positive cases in the state in the last one week shows that the daily spike trend of infections seems to be stabilizing at a higher level. In number terms, since May 20, till date, the new positive cases are averaging a growth rate of 5.40 per cent.
Going by official figures, the last recent per-day biggest spike was 798 positive cases on May 11. On May 19, it dipped to 688. Since then, the rise in infection rate looks to have stabilized with 743 (May 20), 776 (May 21), 786 (May 22), 759 (May 23) and 765 (May 24) positive cases respectively.
Whether this is the beginning of the flattening of the curve, albeit at a higher level in Tamil Nadu as a whole, despite Chennai, Thiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu districts continuing to wave the red flag with more positive cases, is something for the epidemiologists to explain.
Out of Sunday's total positive cases of 765 in the State, 47 were accounted by incoming persons, including 39 from Maharashtra, one from Delhi, two from West Bengal, one each from Kerala and Karnataka, besides one each from Philippines and London from among the foreign returnees.
PRESSURE ON CHENNAI MOUNTS
In greater Chennai alone, 587 more persons tested positive for the virus, a marginal drop from Saturday's 624 cases, though both in terms of total numbers and fatality rate, Chennai district continues to lead the State. The total number Covid-19 positive cases in Chennai district alone is 10,576 and also accounts for 78 of the total of 111 deaths due to the virus as on date. The fatalities confirmed on Sunday include seven males and one lady.
With greater pressure on the health infrastructure in Chennai, authorities have readied 600 beds for a new isolation centre at the Jawaharlal Nehru indoor stadium, even as 15 nurses tested positive today at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH). The civic zones of Royapuram, Kodambakkam, Thiru.Vi.Ka. Nagar and Tyenampet are bristling with 1,889, 1,391, 1,133 and 1,054 active cases respectively as on date.
