Tamil Nadu's COVID-19 cases surge past 1-L mark, attributed to high testing

Tamil Nadu, which has the second-largest number of cases in the country, on Friday (July 3) became the second state in India to breach the 1-lakh mark, after clocking in 4,329 new cases.

The state now has a total of 1,02,721 cases including 1,385 deaths. So far, 58,378 people have been cured, leaving Tamil Nadu’s active cases at 42,955.

In view of the situation, five districts of the state including Chennai – which alone accounts for 62.9 per cent (23,581) of the state’s cases – are under intense lockdown.

The state had announced an intense lockdown in Chennai, Kancheepuram, Thiruvallur and Chengalpattu district from June 19 to June 30 while the lockdown imposed in Madurai on June 23 was recently extended to July 5.

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The state, however, has a fatality rate of 1.3 per cent, much lower to the national average of 2.9 per cent.

The surge in cases is also being attributed to the increase in testing in the southern state. According to Hindustan Times, as of Friday, 12.7 lakh people were tested in 91 testing facilities of the state, the highest in the country. Similarly between June 19 and June 30, 3,27,214 people were tested across the state. A rise in testing has been seen since June 20, with an average of over 30,000 people getting tested every day. Chennai alone is testing 10,000 cases per day.

The number of fever camps were also increased from 300 in May to 520 in 200 wards of Chennai. Between May and July 2, 29,051 swabs have been taken and 33,090 people have been detected with influenza-like symptoms.

“We have a free hand in high testing which we will continue and allow cases to come down organically,” HT quoted TN health secretary J Radhakrishnan as saying.

Officials say the lockdown has been helpful in identifying cases by restricting their movement.

The Greater Chennai Corporation has also recruited around 4,000 volunteers called Friend of COVID Person Under Surveillance (FOCUS) to assist health workers, watch families under home quarantine and help them with essentials at a daily remuneration of ₹500.

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The state government which pegs its recovery rate at 56.8 per cent, however, has denied that there is any community spread yet.

Government projections say the state will cross the 2 lakh-mark in cases in August.