A day after the State’s top bureaucrat expressed his reservations and apprehensions about the approach of the administration in managing the Covid-19 pandemic, Tamil Nadu saw 1,458 persons (highest number till date) testing positive for coronavirus on Saturday.
This took the total number of covid-19 cases tested positive in the State till date to 30,152. The State Government in its medical bulletin issued on Saturday evening put the total number of covid-19 active cases in Tamil Nadu on 13,503. But if the number of deaths are any indication, there are fear among medical fraternity that things are going out of control in the State.
The death toll in Tamil Nadu reached 251 on Saturday as 19 persons breathed their last on a single day. This is the highest number of deaths in a single day due to the pandemic.
The Government claimed in the bulletin that 15, 389 persons were tested on a single day. Till date, 5, 50, 643 samples have been tested in Tamil Nadu. The day also saw 633 getting discharged from the hospitals fully cured while till date a total of 16, 395 persons have been discharged all over the State.
Chennai, with its narrow lanes and cramped homes, continued to top the table of districts in the State with highest positive cases- 1,146. The metropolis has tested 20, 993 positive cases till date, said the bulletin. Thiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Cuddalore and Kancheepuram are closely following the city of Chennai with high number of covid patients.
K Shanmugam, Chief secretary of Tamil Nadu has told the Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner G Prakash that there are gaps in the approach to manage the Covid-19 pandemic and there is a need to dynamically “revise the strategy”.
Adding to the woes of the government of Tamil Nadu are reports appearing in local media about the severe shortage of staff in the government run hospitals to take care of the covid patients. “More patients are getting admitted to hospitals of late. We are increasing more wards and hence we need more manpower,” a government doctor has been quoted of saying.
Seriousness of the covid pandemic in Chennai could be understood as three judges of the Madras High Court have been afflicted with the pandemic. J Anbazhagan, the DMK’s volatile MLA has been admitted to a corporate hospital in Chennai as he was diagnosed with Covid-19 pandemic. Chief Minister Palaniswamy, DMK Chief M K Stalin and party’s senior leaders are keeping track of the health status of the DMK leader who is on ventilator support.