Chennai: Covid cases are once again on a rise in Tamilnadu. Taking cognizance of the rise in new cases, the government has directed the health department to step up testing of samples to around 25,000 a day from the present 18,000 cases.

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras is emerging as a Covid hotspot as 12 students of the premier institute have tested positive for coronavirus.

This has come at a time when Covid cases in Tamilnadu marginally increased to 39, including 12 cases reported inside IIT-M, on Thursday as against 31 on Wednesday.

All the 12 persons have been quarantined in one place and are stable, said Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan, who visited the campus twice.

The patients have very mild symptoms and have had exposure outside the college or mess, he added. The contacts of these students have been tested and an isolation facility has been set up for them.

‘People should stop taking it easy. There might be an increase in cases here too. People should wear masks and get vaccinated,’ the Health Secretary said.
According to Health department data, the first cases were reported at the IIT-M Bhadra Hostel, while another two cases were reported each in Sarayu Hostel and Mandakini hostel. The officials plan to test another 1,500 samples in the next two days.

Meanwhile, in a letter addressed to all district Collectors, Radhakrishnan said that in Tamilnadu there has been no significant changes as cases have mildly risen from below 25 a day to above 30.

‘At a stage when we should aim at virus suppression, it is noticed that isolated cases are still getting reported and we need to keep monitoring the trajectory of cases and also test positivity at district and sub district levels,’ he said.