A huge spike in the number of COVID-19 cases was recorded in Tamil Nadu as 17 new new cases were reported, said Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami on Monday, 30 March. This has been the highest number of cases ever recorded in a day in the state..
The tally is now at 67, which included five persons who have been discharged and one deceased.
Out of the 17 new cases, 10 belong to Erode district, said the chief minister in a press conference.
He said that over 1,000 persons had attended a conference conducted by the Thowheed Jamath in Nizamuddin, New Delhi, leading to the spike in the number of cases in Erode.
The other patients are a 25-year-old male in Madurai, who is a family member of a 54-year-old positive male and a 42-year-old male, resident of Kulithalai, with travel history to Delhi.
A 52-year-old female, 76-year-old female, 15-year-old female and a 20-year male are family members of a US returnee positive patient in West Mambalam, Chennai. One patient had no travel or contact history.
All the patients are stable and in isolation at the hospitals.
“The only solution to this is social distancing. We are now in stage 1 and stage 2. The media has to help us spread this message. This is a matter of life. People don't know about this. We have been giving messages to increase awareness,” the chief minister said.
“We don't know what medicine to administer for this disease. Even developed countries have not found a medicine for this. We don't want to mention any medicine which can put your life at risk and force you to go to the hospital,” he added.
The chief minister said that several meetings have been held with the health department, corporation, municipality and police department to prepare on a war-footing for the pandemic.
17,089 isolation beds, 3,018 ventilators are ready in government and private hospitals. Over 16 government and private testing labs are already ready. 1.5 crore masks and 25 lakh N95 type masks have been ordered as well.
Till date, 2,09,234 passengers have been screened, 1,987 have been tested and 43,537 have been asked to be on home quarantine.
Long queues were seen outside the Chennai Police Commissioner’s office as people lined up to get permission to travel between districts and outside the state for emergency reasons. So far they have received 8,500 requests and only 117 people have been granted permission.
The Containment Plan
On Sunday, eight new cases were reported in Tamil Nadu. Four patients were from Coimbatore and four others from Erode, including a 10-month-old baby.
The state government had announced containment zones in nine zones in Chennai.
The advisory issued by the Chennai Corporation Commissioner Prakash stated that people living in Arumbakkam, Purasaiwalkam, Santhome, Virugambakkam, Saidapet, West Mambalam, Porur, Alandur, and Kotturpuram are advised to stay in their houses and not venture out of their houses unless it is very important. This move has been taken after 23 COVID-19 positive patients were confirmed in these areas.
He also stated that people who have travel history or those who have come in contact with someone who was tested positive for COVID-19 in the specified areas, should wear masks inside their houses.
The government is also closely tracking the residents of all the houses in a five-kilometre radius around the residences of those who were tested positive.
Health workers will also visit every house that falls under the containment zone to check for people with symptoms.
A list will be prepared to monitor high-risk patients, the elderly, those with chronic ailments like blood pressure, renal diseases and those with immune deficiency disorders and pregnant women. This exercise is expected to continue for 28 days or 21 days after the occurrence of the last positive case, whichever is longer.
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