No respite from rising number of virus cases and deaths in Tamil Nadu

Chennai: On yet another day of high rises, Tamil Nadu added 1,843 new Covid-19 positive cases on Monday, taking the total number of positive coronavirus patients in the State to 46,504. But what sounded more alarming is the maximum of number 44 deaths confirmed by the Health department on a single day since the first case was reported in the State on March 7, taking the total death toll due to the virus to a very worrying 479.

Of the fresh Covid-19 positive cases for the day, Chennai registered 1,257 cases, followed by Chengalpattu district with 120 new cases, Thiruvallur-50, Kancheepuram-39, Ranipet-34 and followed surprisingly by Madurai district with 33 new cases reported today.

The Madurai CPI(M) MP, Su.Venkatesan staged a demonstration in the temple city today, demanding that the State government ramp up the testing in Madurai, lest it went Chennai's way. The local DMK MLAs' also joined in the protest there today. However, the AIADMK's Madurai strongman and Cooperation Minister Sellur K Raju said he respected Venkatesan's views, but the government "will not goof up" on Madurai. Cuddalore, Vellore, Tirunelveli and Thiruvannamalai districts are again reporting more per-day cases.

Among the 44 deaths confirmed today, 12 happened in private hospitals and 32 in government hospitals. While 11 of the deceased patients had no co-morbidities and were straight coronavirus caused deaths, 33 others who lost their lives in various hospitals suffered from other multiple complications or chronic diseases.

However, one bright spot in this depressing scenario today was that both at the State and at the Chennai district level, the number of persons testing positive were lower compared to Sunday's figures.

Chennai in particular saw a 11.50 per cent drop in the per-day cases from 1,415 on Sunday to 1,257 on Monday. At the State level the number of Covid-19 positive cases was 131 less from Sunday's peak of 1,974 cases.