Though Tamil Nadu lost 112 lives to Covid-19 in the last 24 hours ending Wednesday evening, there are some positive signals showing that the pandemic is gradually though slowly subsiding in the State.
The number of new persons diagnosed with Covid-19 on Wednesday stood at 5,175 which was on the higher side of the numbers that tested positive on Tuesday. But the total number of active cases in the State as on Wednesday was 54,184 which is less than Tuesday’s 55,152.
The day also saw 59,156 persons getting tested on a single day in 125 laboratories in the State. Indications from Chennai is that the situation has stabilised in the capital city as the number of new patients tested positive for Covid-19 were shown as 1,044.
But the neighbouring districts of Chengalpet (487), Kancheepuram (342) and Thiruvallur (472) continued to be on the higher side of the pandemic. Virudhunagar which used to test 280 to 400 new cases per day on an average showed only 67 cases on Wednesday.
The neighbouring Kerala had 1,195 new Covid-19 patients on Wednesday. The situation in Kerala is causing concern as 971 persons out of the 1,195 positive cases tested on Wednesday contracted the pandemic through social transmission. In another sign that the situation is grave in the State, 79 persons could not name the source from where they contracted covid-19. Seven persons died because of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours in Kerala, according to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The Chief Minister stayed clear from any controversy when asked whether community transmission has set in the State on account of the unprecedented increase in the number of persons contracting the pandemic through local transmission. “That is not the major issue in the State. We are focussing only on controlling the disease,” said the chief minister.
The Indo Tibetan Border Police camp at Alappuzha has become another cause of concern in Kerala, said the Chief Minister. “We have asked the ITBP authorities not to send new staff persons to Kerala because we have found that the newly transferred personnel bring the pandemic to the State,” he said.