FIVE REASONS WHY CHENNAI SAW THE BIGGEST RISE IN NUMBER OF COVID-19 CASES YESTERDAY!

Chennai witnessed the biggest spike in number of COVID19 cases recorded in the city. The state reported 527 new coronavirus cases and Chennai recorded 266 new cases on Monday.

These could be the possible reasons behind the rise in number of cases:

• Koyambedu market turned into a COVID19 Hotspot

The Koyambedu market has around 3000 shops. It has become the latest COVID hotbed in the city. Out of the 266 cases that were reported on Monday, 215 were linked to the market. Shop vendors were also subjected to the task of coordinating with the officials for contact tracing. Cases linked to this market have not only risen in Tamil Nadu but has also affected Kerala. The market management committee decided to shift the market to Thirumazhisai on Monday. According to experts, this step could have been taken earlier.

• Total Lockdown Within a Partial Lockdown

The Tamil Nadu government imposed a total lockdown for four days in five TN districts while the country was already reeling under a partial lockdown. The government cited that this was done to stop the spread of coronavirus. However, huge crowds of people in different areas were panic buying as a result of which markets were filled, social distancing norms were forgotten and the idea behind Lockdown, backfired.

• Volunteering activities not being regulated

Volunteers who were employed by the Greater Chennai Corporation to deliver essential commodities in more than 200 containment zones across the city, weren’t tested. Times of India cites that this was the reason behind 40 residents of the same street testing positive in Triplicane. Special Officer J Radhakrishnan said on Sunday that the volunteers would be tested regularly from now on. 

• Frontline workers do not have enough PPEs

Employees associations of Greater Chennai Corporation have raised this issue in several occasions and pointed out that there is a lack of Personal Protective equipment for ground level health workers and conservancy workers. According to Times of India’s report, the corporation’s first press release about distribution of PPEs to workers was only issued a week ago. Media reports highlight that even police personnel do not have access to PPEs.

• Intensified testing across the city

The rate of testing in Chennai is higher than other cities and there has been an exponential increase in the number of tests taken.  The increase in testing also led to rise in number of positive cases recorded. Extensive testing is the silver lining in the cloud. 

Both the authorities and citizens are trying to do their bit to deal with the pandemic. However, curbing the spread of the virus before it reaches the community transmission stage, remains to be the biggest challenge.