CHENNAI: Fresh Covid-19 cases rose to 39 in Tamil Nadu on Thursday from 31 on Wednesday, with the cluster at IIT-M accounting for nine. At least 26 patients were discharged and there were no deaths. Active cases stood at 256. Of the 38 districts, 28 did not report any new case. One person who flew in from Singapore and another from Maharashtra tested positive in checks by the airport surveillance unit.
Minutes after the news of the cluster at IIT-M broke, the government medical college at Omandurar in the city directed students to double mask inside the campus. Classes will be organised in small batches and social distancing will be encouraged, said dean Dr R Jayanthi said. “We are also actively considering online classes,” she said. Wardens have been asked to ensure Covid-appropriate behaviour inside hostels.
The state health department said there is no need to shut down units or educational institutions as yet. “But it is important to follow protocols to keep infections low,” said health secretary J Radhakrishnan.
Chennai reported 21 new cases compared to 16 on Wednesday and 17 on Tuesday. Chengalpet had six new cases followed by two each in Thanjavur and Vellore. Six other districts – Kancheepuram, Nagapattinam, Namakkal, Thirupathur, Tiruvallur and Thiruvaru – reported one new case each.
Of the 256 active cases, Chennai had 128 followed by 39 patients in Chengalpet and 15 in Coimbatore. While 20 districts had between one and nine patients under treatment for the viral infection, 15 districts had no active cases.