Chennai, July 2(BPNS)
Tamil Nadu health department is for stringent measures including proper implementation of wearing of masks, social distancing, and increasing the volume of tests and massive vaccination drive as 15 districts of the state have shown a slight or marginal increase in fresh Covid -19 cases.
On Thursday, 15 districts of the state reported an increase in fresh Covid cases which varied from 1 to 54 cases. Thanjavur reported 248 new cases which are 51 more than that reported on Wednesday. Madurai also reported a slightly higher number of cases on Thursday. Tiruvannamalai, Kallakurichi, Perambalur,Villupuram, Nilgiris, Sivaganga, and Tirupathur also showed slight increase in cases on Thursday.
The state health department has already called upon the district administrations to immediately focus on the clusters or areas that are contributing to the new cases.
While the state has been witnessing a steady decline in Covid cases, both active and fresh cases, there was a sigh of relief and the government was also for massive drive-in vaccination across the state. However the slight increase in fresh Covid cases have led the health department to send signals to the government for implementing stringent measures to prevent the spread.
State health secretary, J Radhakrishnan while speaking to BPNS said, “ as our neighbouring states like Maharashtra and Kerala are showing a slight increase in cases, Tamil Nadu is also for focused disease containment.”
Epidemiologists have already recommended focused testing and intensified testing as the effect of relaxations would come into effect only after a few days. The focus is on workplace intervention strategies, testing, screening and identification of clusters.
Dr Suchithra V Menon, an Epidemiologist working with a research centre in Chennai while speaking to BPNS said, “Focus should be on clusters, whether small or big and intensified and focused testing must be conducted. The state can use antigen testing methods also to increase the speed of the results.”
The state health, police, and revenue departments has geared together to ensure that people follow Covid protocols tightly and doctors recommend that the basic principles have to be adhered to.
