Tamil Nadu

Coronavirus

Prison officials have reportedly asked that all 650 inmates of the prison and 40 staff be tested but this has not been done.

TNM Staff

(Image for representation)

At least 30 inmates of the Puzhal prison in Chennai tested positive for the coronavirus on Friday. This comes just days after three cases were reported in the Cuddalore and Trichy prisons. According to Times of India, the tests in Puzhal were conducted on close contacts of the three inmates found positive for COVID-19 on May 27. Reports suggest that samples were taken from 93 contacts of these men and that they have been quarantined till results arrive. Prison officials have reportedly asked that all 650 inmates of the prison and 40 staff be tested but this has not been done. Director-General of Police (Prisons) Sunil Kumar Singh told The Hindu that 34 convicts were brought from central prisons from across Tamil Nadu for paramedical training at the Puzhal prison complex in March. They were however forced to remain in Chennai due to the COVID-19 lockdown. According to The Hindu, on May 22, a group of convicts were shifted to central prisons in Madurai, Cuddalore and other districts. After they began to exhibit mild symptoms, they were tested and seven of the 19 were found positive for the virus on May 27 and May 28. Officials have pointed out that while physical distancing was being maintained in cells and grounds, prisoners were still in contact in the kitchen, dining area and rooms where they made calls. Prison authorities have however assured that proper medical care was being given to infected prisoners of different age groups. Areas across the prison complex are also being disinfected as a precaution.

Body 2:

Coronavirus

The new mechanism will avoid hand contact for pressing the buttons, which may help in curbing the spread of coronavirus infection.

Bharathi SP

Image for representation

The Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) is mulling to introduce foot-operated elevators to reduce hand contact, which could potentially spread coronavirus, once the train services resume post the lockdown period. CMRL in a statement said that it is deliberating on contactless measures in order to provide safety for passengers while using elevators in the wake of COVID-19. "CMRL has now come up with an ingenious way to avoid hand contact with elevator buttons by providing a foot-operated lift mechanism which will minimise hand contact for the users thereby reducing the virus spread," the statement said. Currently, the facility is installed at the CMRL Admin Building at Koyambedu. If CMRL finds this as an optimal solution, then the facility will be introduced at all the metro stations, it said. In the new facility, the horizontal elevator push buttons are present at the ground level near one of the corners of the wall. The horizontal button panels show the numbers of floors in the building. As soon as a person enters the elevator, they need to hit the number button with the foot. In a video released by CMRL explaining the modus operandi behind the foot-operated lifts, a man is seen entering the lift and pressing a button on the horizontal pane with his foot. Another man ensures physical distancing while entering the lift and presses a button, followed by one more person pressing the floor number he wants to reach, with the foot. The Chennai Metro Rail Limited suspended metro rail operations from March 23 to contain the spread of the coronavirus infection. The CMRL runs a train every five minutes but post the lockdown period, CMRL officials are planning to reduce the frequency of the trains in a bid to curb the spread of infection.

Body 2:

Coronavirus

Chennai Migrant Task Force is a volunteer network that is currently working on field to address this barrier.

Anjana Shekar

Migrant workers seated outside Chennai central railway station

Image for representation/PTI

On May 25 Ravin Carr along with a group of volunteers who were at Chennai Central Railway station, witnessed a scene that would go on to emphasise the gravity of the situation the city is currently facing with respect to its outbound migrant workers. “The entire area was crowded with migrant workers wanting to leave the city, all of whom had reached Central station in the hopes of getting on a train. In this group, there were about 900 persons from Bihar who were extremely frustrated due to lack of communication. There were no more trains available that day for them to leave home and the authorities were unable to successfully communicate it to the group. It turned into a law and order situation," Ravin Carr tells TNM over the phone. “I wound’t call it a language gap but a language barrier,” Ravin adds. Language barrier Ravi Carr, who runs a software company in addition to being part of the Feed Chennai initiative, along with a group of volunteer friends, formed the Chennai Migrant Task Force to help address this very issue. The group that was formed on May 19 currently has about 40 volunteers working in different ways, some on the ground, some coordinating on phone. Most of them can speak Hindi and other languages and are able to communicate with the migrants much more effectively than the state administration. Ravin continues talking about that day, “The situation was getting very difficult to handle. The workers from Bihar refused to accept the food and water being given to them. All they wanted was to go home at any cost.” “Surely they were hungry, tired from the journey, traumatised by the happenings of the recent months, home sick among other things. But all they got were one-word instructions to “sit, stand, line up” in Hindi. It was not helping,” he adds. It was late evening by the time Ravin and his friends were able to persuade the group to eat dinner and house them at temporary shelters until the trains to Bihar came. “We took help from the Bihar State Association so as to reassure them that the best of action would be taken at the earliest. We were able to move them to shelters for the night and the next day one group departed and on Wednesday the rest too left," Ravin tells TNM. “But the entire episode highlighted one big issue for us,” says Ravin, “Neither the government nor the Chennai corporation or the NGOs or even us volunteers are prepared for what is to really come. The number of migrant workers waiting to go back home and the protocols in place to ensure they have a safe journey.” In Chennai so far 75,000 migrant workers have been sent home. According to a report in the Times of India, 20,000 more were waiting for trains. Lack of a proper system Sangeetha, founder of Katradi NGO, who is also part of the task force, says, “Most people in Chennai are unaware of what’s happening out there. Some have asked me if it is really happening in Chennai, if the migrant workers are thronging the railway stations and if it has turned into a law-and-order situation. People don't realise the gravity of this exodus in Chennai because they are all at home due to the lockdown." “I am sure everyone wants one thing - for the migrant workers to be sent home without hassle. The government also wants to vacate its shelters fast. But everything that is happening on ground, the plight of the migrant workers who are spending days on the road, walking in the hot sun with no easy access to food or water… we need to have more empathy when talking to them. It is not that the authorities are unempathetic. There is a systemic lack of an agile operation in place,” she says. Ravin goes on to point out that even the online site (nonresidenttamil.org) used for registering for passes is tailored only for the Tamil populace. “Just one cursory glance at the website will tell you that it is not for the migrant workers. The fields are either in English or Tamil. Moreover, the lack of communication with the migrant workers only means that they are not fully informed on how to register for passes. Some think that they've received the pass as soon as they receive an acknowledgment message on their phones. They have no one to turn to for advice. The authorities on the ground cannot understand the needs of the travelers without being able to converse with them. The migrant workers have no one to talk to about their needs and requirements and therefore the crisis,” he tells TNM. The migrant workers are moving out from shelters and crowding the railway stations out of frustration, with hopes of being able to get on trains to their home. A simple way of fixing the communication barrier would help avoid them leaving their shelters in huge numbers in the first place Ravin adds. The need for better coordination “Over the past few days, we have come across people who take advantage of the plight of the migrant workers. There are touts who fleece from the workers saying they can get them passes or shelters. Not to mention the mental trauma the whole experience will cause for the migrants. These are hard working people who toil away in harsh conditions for their livelihood. They do not deserve to be disrespected or treated like they are unwanted,” Ravin explains. Both Ravin and Sangeetha stress on the need for a team that is able to effectively communicate with the migrant workers. “For now our small task force is bustling to meet all their needs. To pick up food and water being donated to them. So far 2,248 workers we have helped in some way,” Ravin says and adds, “We would like to work with the corporation authorities. If we have at least a couple of volunteers attached to every police station and more of them in railway stations the situation can be handled better.”

Body 2:

Coronavirus

TN government has permitted 60 members to be present at shooting spots as against the earlier order allowing 20 members.

TNM Staff

Image for representation

The Tamil Nadu government has permitted crews with 60 members to resume shooting of small screen serials from May 31 as against the previous order allowing 20 members. According to the order issued by the government on May 21, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami permitted indoor shootings in urban areas apart from containment zones, and outdoor shootings in certain rural areas. In the order, the Chief Minister mentioned that a maximum of 20 people can be present at the shooting spot. However, relaxing the earlier condition, the Chief Minister in a release issued on Saturday said, certain relaxations have been introduced as per the request of Film Employees Federation of South India (FEFSI) and Society of Television Producers of South India (STEPS). The members of FEFSI and STEPS met Minister for Information and Publicity Kadambur Raju and conveyed that shooting with 20 members was quite impossible and sought the government’s intervention to increase the number of crew members, the release said. Taking this into consideration, the Chief Minister has ordered that the shooting can resume on May 31 with 60-member crews including male and female actors, and technology assistants. "For shooting in Chennai, permission should be received from Chennai Corporation Commissioner and for other districts the permission should be received from respective district collector. For shooting serials the permission must be received for one time," said the release. The statement also said that the crew members should follow the guidelines issued by the state and central governments. The guidelines include the use of face masks by all the crew members, the actor and woman actors alone are exempted from wearing masks while shooting. Otherwise, the artistes should wear masks in the sets. The crew should also maintain physical distance; wash hands or use sanitisers to keep the hands clean and the vehicles used by the crew for shooting should also be sanitised.

Body 2:

Coronavirus

This brings the total number of cases in TN to 21,184 with 9,021 active cases.

TNM Staff

Image for representation/PTI

In the highest single day surge, Tamil Nadu recorded 938 positive cases of coronavirus on Saturday. The new positive cases have taken the total number of COVID-19 cases in Tamil Nadu to 21,184. Out of the new cases reported on Saturday, 856 were local cases and 82 were imported cases of COVID-19. According to the health bulletin released by the Tamil Nadu Health and Family Welfare Department, among the 82 imported cases, 3 patients were from Kuwait, 2 patients from Delhi, one patient each from Chandigarh, Gujarat and Karnataka who returned by airways have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Forty-six persons from Maharashtra, 12 persons from West Bengal, 6 patients from Gujarat, two cases each from Jharkhand, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh, one person each from Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh returned to the state by road and railways and have tested positive. Currently, the number of active cases in the state is 9,021. On Saturday, 687 patients were discharged from the hospital following recovery. The state tested 12,605 samples from 12,039 persons. The state has also recorded six deaths taking the toll to 160. A 54-year-old male from Chennai admitted to Government Medical College and Hospital, Omandurar Government Estate died on May 29 at 12.15 pm due to COVID Pneumonia, respiratory failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome. A 69-year-old male from Chennai with type II diabetes mellitus, systemic hypertension, chronic kidney disease on maintenance haemodialysis, hepatitis C positive status died on May 30 at 07.25 am due to cardiopulmonary arrest, COVID-19, sepsis, type II diabetes mellitus, systemic hypertension, chronic kidney disease on maintenance haemodialysis, Hepatitis C Positive status. A 70-year-old male from Chennai with systemic hypertension, type II diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease patient died in Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital on May 30 at 03.55 am due to cardiopulmonary arrest, COVID-19 pneumonia, acute coronary syndrome, myocardial infarction, severe left ventricular dysfunction, cardiogenic shock, systemic hypertension, type II diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease. Two other patients also died of comorbid conditions. A 58-year-old male from Chennai died on Friday in RGGGH. A 72-year-old female from Chennai died on May 29 in RGGGH. A 37-year-old female from Chennai who had no pre-existing health conditions but tested positive for COVID-19 died in RGGGH. Chennai has recorded 616 new cases followed by Chengalpattu with 94 cases, Kancheepuram with 22 cases, Madurai with 10 cases, Salem with 23 cases, Thiruvallur with 28 cases, Thoothukudi with 15 cases, Tiruchy and Cuddalore with 5 cases each, Tiruvannamalai with 9 cases, Kanniyakumari with 4 cases, Tirunelveli and Nagapattinam with 3 cases each, Kallakuruchi, Thanjavur and Villupuram with 2 cases each and Virudhunagar, Theni, Tenkasi, Sivagangai, Tirupattur, Ramanathapuram, Perambalur, Krishnagiri and Karur with one cases each.

Body 2:

News

District authorities in Krishnagiri have conducted an investigation and told residents there is no need for alarm.

Priyanka Thirumurthy

Image for representation/PTI

Reports of locust attacking crops and plantations across the state have been emerging since Friday. The first such case was reported in Krishnagiri district's Neralagiri village while the second instance was recorded in Kanyakumari district's Thiruvettar village. And while district authorities have conducted an investigation and told residents there is no need for alarm in Krishnagiri, farmers in Kanyakumari are still awaiting instructions from the state government. Several states in the country including Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh have seen unusually large swarms of locusts attack crops. However, experts had stated that the menace never spread beyond the Deccan plateau and chances of Tamil Nadu facing such an issue were remote. Speaking to the media in Neralagiri, district collector Prabhakar said, "We got information that there are an increased number of locusts in Neralagiri. As per the Tamil Chief Minister's directions, we are ensuring that farmers and common man are not affected by the insects. The Agricultural department and experts from the Agricultural University have arrived at the village to investigate. People don't have to fear that these locusts are from the deserts. They are from the erukan (a local species) plant. Since they have eaten the erukan leaves they are moving on to banana plantation leaves. They are not affecting other crops. Despite this, there were joint efforts to stop the insects and the necessary pesticides were sprayed. No other area in our district has been affected." The Collector further outlines the plan of action to create awareness. "We have informed all district administrators and asked them to work in consultation with local villages. We are following a two-step action plan. First, we will spread awareness to farmers and ask them to report to the agricultural department if they have such insects and we will provide them with pesticide to handle it. Second, we want the media to bring the matter to the notice of departments to tackle the menace," he told the media. In Thiruvattar meanwhile, a report by Puthiya Thalaimurai showed locusts swarming crops and eating into leaves. Farmers have reportedly noticed that these locusts are not the usual yellow and green species that are native to the area. Visuals showed that they are brown and white and agriculturalists fear that they would destroy crops. The agricultural department has taken samples to investigate the species of insect and determine how to tackle the problem.

Body 2:

OTT

The teaser of the Zee5 show has since been taken down as several viewers and Hindu groups have objected to it.

Priyanka Thirumurthy

Daniel Balaji/Facebook

Over the last couple days, actor 'Daniel' Balaji has received a torrent of phone calls, most of them beginning with abuse directed at him and his family. Nearly every called attacks the community they think he belongs to, or his decision to play the role of a self-proclaimed godman in a series produced by OTT platform Zee5."I am being personally targeted by certain groups. They assume I am Christian and question my intention in playing role. The ‘Daniel’ prefix in my name actually comes from having played a character with that name in my first role in the TV serial 'Chitthi'”, the actor explains, in an exclusive interview to TNM. "They first question how I can play the role of a godman when I am Christian, and then allege that I have insulted Hinduism and Brahmanism. And they have come to this conclusion through just a teaser," he says, flummoxed. The two-minute teaser of the series, titled 'Godman’, was uploaded on May 26 and created an instant furore on social media. The video had to be taken down as a result of the backlash. Amongst the dialogues that have caused controversy is a godman named Anandhar (actor Jayaprakash) asking, "Where does it say only Brahmins can read Vedas?" The question is posed to Balaji, who essays the role of Ayyanar, a petty criminal who is a drunkard and womaniser. The shots played over Anandhar's question show Balaji in intimate positions with women, and Anandar himself being arrested. Several have interpreted this as a pot shot at Brahmins and the religious beliefs of Hindus."That is not true at all," retorts Balaji. "The teaser is usually cut in such a way that it grabs attention. Just because the scenes come in that order doesn't mean the story is such. People are reacting prematurely. Yes, my character is having sex. But this is before he becomes a godman. For a normal human being, sex is part of their lives and not something to be disapproved of. As for the arrest scene, I am not sure what the context is. I only know about the journey of my character," he adds. And is this character, as rumoured, based on self-proclaimed godman and alleged rapist Nithyananda? "Maybe there is a resemblance in the appearance, but other than that, the dialogues and journeys are very different," Balaji says."My character Ayyanar is first shocked that he too can become a godman, especially when he is not educated or refined. He doesn't know any language other than his mother tongue and he has to learn Vedas and other scriptures. I am someone who has done several negative roles and for the first time I saw a character who is bad actually getting a chance to become good. Everyone has two sides to them and this role helps me show both," he adds. But what is his take on godmen and cults?"I am a spiritual person by nature, but not having been in any cult myself, I don't have an opinion about this. Clearly these godmen are offering something that the followers want and believe in. No single man can form a cult. As long as followers believe what you say, you will remain a godman," he says. And talking of followers, Balaji is fully aware of the trolling that awaits him when the series releases."I know how much they will troll me but I am not scared at all. It is just funny that when I act as a rapist, these people will appreciate my performance. When I do a movie where I murder people they says 'superb!'. But when I am actually playing a character who is transforming from bad to good, I will be abused," he says. "Hundreds of people will get ready to dish out all kinds of words at me. But I ask them, is that Hinduism? Is that what the Bhagavad Gita has taught them?" asks the actor. Trolls and troubles aside, he states that it has been exciting working on a web series. A fan of Money Heist and Game of Thrones, Balaji has found acting in this format a good experience."As an artist your role doesn't change. You still have to do the same things, except there are more shoot days," he says. "I didn't have to really prepare for the character. They were looking for a dark skinned man and I fit the description. And having conducted many pujas myself, I could help design the set for those scenes," he adds. Balaji also got a chance in the movie to reunite with the heroine of one of his first movies 'Kadhal Konden'. Sonia Agarwal plays the role of a politician in the series."We are very comfortable working with each other and we would discuss and prepare for scenes before the shooting. I will tell her how I am going to do it and she will explain her plans," he says. As for the director Babu Yogeshwaran, who earlier helmed Jayam Ravi’s Daas, Balaji describes him as soft-spoken and easy going."He wouldn't even raise his voice in the sets. He gave the actors freedom to interpret the role and present it. In fact, I would keep asking him if the scene was okay and if I needed to do something else," he says. "And he would sometimes tell me to alter or tone down the acting. It was overall a very good experience."

Body 2:

Coronavirus

The centre, located in Kesava Perumal Park of Pulianthope, will provide a home-friendly feel, the Health Minister of Tamil Nadu said.

TNM Staff

Image for representation

Tamil Nadu Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar on Saturday inaugurated a COVID-19 centre with a 1,400-bed facility that was readied in the unoccupied Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board (TNSCB) tenement in Kesava Perumal Park of Pulianthope, Chennai. Talking to the reporters after the inauguration, the Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar said, “The newly inaugurated COVID-19 centre has a 1,400-bed facility; we have CCTV monitoring and a special medical team on all floors. We have paramedical staff, separate lift facilities for patients and the doctors, and most importantly we have also ensured oxygen supply on each and every floor.” “Patients with mild symptoms, who do not have co-morbid conditions and younger patients will be kept in this facility. In case of emergency, we also have ambulance services to take them to the government Hospital. The new centre is set up in a way that will give a home-like feel for the patients,” the Health Minister said. The minister also added, “The government is working with the help of four government hospitals in Chennai and the Ayanavaram Government Hospital. Apart from this, 10 COVID-19 centres have been set up, including those at colleges such as Valiammai College, Loyola College and Bharathi College. The government is also effectively providing service through the 140 urban healthcare centres with outpatient wards to treat patients with fever.” The Tamil Nadu government was earlier planning to convert the slum tenements in Thiruvottiyur and Ernavoor into COVID-19 care centres, a report said. However, people started opposing the move, fearing that they may not get back their tenements. Following this, the government changed the plan and started the works on converting the slum tenement in Pulianthope into a COVID-19 care centre. On Saturday, Tamil Nadu recorded a single-day surge of 938 COVID-19 cases, taking the total number of cases in the state to 21,184. Chennai recorded 616 cases and Chengalpattu recorded 94 cases.

Body 2:

Coronavirus

While restrictions will continue as before in four Tamil Nadu districts, special permissions have been given for Chennai and the rest of the state.

Bharathi SP

Image for representation/PTI

The Tamil Nadu government has extended the lockdown in the state till June 30 in four districts and has allowed certain relaxations for the rest of the state as per the Centre’s guidelines on May 30. Places of religious worship, hotels, resorts and hospitality services will remain closed across the state till June 30. While inter-state travel has been prohibited, buses have been allowed to ply in eight zones that have been demarcated by the government. However, considering the increased caseload in Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram and Thiruvallur, most of the restrictions will continue. However, special permissions have been granted to Chennai What remains prohibited across state The restrictions that will continue till further announcements include a ban on the reopening of places of religious worship and religious gatherings. People from other districts have been banned from visiting the Nilgiris, Kodaikanal and Yercaud for tourism purposes. Hotels, resorts, hospitality services are not permitted to operate during this period. Exceptions have been provided for lodgings of other states people and institutional quarantine centres. According to the statement, shopping malls, educational institutions, research labs cannot function. International flight service will stay cancelled, metro rail, MRTS train service cannot operate. Transportation within states will also remain prohibited. The government has yet again emphasised on online education. Theatres, gyms, Swimming pools, clubs, bars, beaches, tourist places, zoos and museums, places of public gatherings are not allowed to function. Gatherings for political, sports, entertainment, functions, religious, education and festival events will remain cancelled. The restriction on the gathering for marriage and death continues, with up to 50 people allowed for the wedding ceremony and upto 20 people allowed at funerals. What is permitted All showrooms and big shops have been allowed to open in the state, except in containment zones. Based on the Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines on May 30, restaurants have been allowed to open, but without air conditioning. At a time, 50% of the seating arrangement can be used. Grocery and provisions can function from 6 am to 8 pm. Tea shops and other small food outlets should provide only parcels till June 7. From June 8, tea shops can function with 50% of the customers. Rental cabs with 4 people, including the driver, can ferry without an e-pass. Auto rickshaws have been allowed with two passengers and the driver. Barbershops and parlours can function without AC. Gathering of more than five people has been prohibited under Section 144. Containment zones will continue with the same restrictions in place. IT and private institutions will be allowed to function with 100% workforce, except in Chennai. However, the government has encouraged people to work from home. Special permissions for Chennai Though the lockdown has been extended in Chennai till June 30, in the Greater Chennai Police limits, except for containment zones, permission has been provided for the functioning of IT industries and companies supporting IT industries with 20% workers, or a maximum of 40 employees. All private institutions can function with 50% of workers, but the government has encouraged working from home. All showrooms and shops, except shopping malls, have been allowed to function with 50% of the employees. Only 5 customers maintaining physical distancing should be permitted in the shops. However, air conditioning should not be used. Honorarium The government has announced an honorarium of Rs 2, 500 each for all the sanitary workers in the Greater Chennai Police limits. The underprivileged, those with disabilities and elderly people staying at the Corporation centres will also be provided Rs 1,000 when they return home from the Corporation centres.

Body 2:

Coronavirus

The Tamil Nadu government released the regulations around the lockdown extension on Sunday.

TNM Staff

Travelling inside TN from June 1: All you need to know

Image for representation/PTI

The Tamil Nadu government on Sunday issued detailed guidelines on the lockdown regulations that should be followed in the state till June 30. As per the relaxed norms, the state government has permitted operation of public buses in specified areas. However, an e-pass and quarantine norms for those travelling between zones and between the states will continue. A press release issued by the Chief Minister’s office stated that public buses will be operational in the state from June 1, Monday. However, these buses will operate only within the zones and not between the zones. For ease of operations, the state government has also divided Tamil Nadu into eight zones. Zone 1 - Coimbatore, Nilgiris, Erode, Tiruppur, Karur, Salem and Namakkal. Zone 2 - Dharmapuri, Vellore, Thirupattur, Ranipet and Krishnagiri. Zone 3 - Villupuram, Thiruvannamalai, Cuddalore and Kallakurichi. Zone 4 - Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Tiruchy, Ariyalur, Perambalur and Pudukottai. Zone 5 - Dindigul, Madurai, Theni, Virudhunagar, SIvagangai and Ramanathapuram. Zone 6 - Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari and Tenkasi. Zone 7 - Kancheepuram, Thiruvallur and Chengalpattu. Zone 8 - Areas under the Chennai police limits. The government will operate 50% of the buses in all the zones except zones 7 and 8. In Chennai, Kancheepuram, Thiruvallur and Chengalpattu districts, there will be a complete ban on operating buses. In the rest of Tamil Nadu, private buses will also be operated on routes approved by the government. The government has also stated that the public buses shall be operated with 60% capacity and that e-pass is not required for the passengers travelling in these buses. For travellers using private vehicles within the zones demarcated by the state government, e-passes are not necessary. In areas across Tamil Nadu (including Chennai, Kancheepuram, Thiruvallur and Chengalpattu), except in containment zones, cabs, taxis, autos and cycle rickshaws can operate. Three passengers (excluding the driver) will be allowed to travel in cabs and taxis while two passengers (excluding the driver) will be permitted to travel in autos. E-pass will not be necessary for travel within the zones. However, for those who travel from one zone to another, e-pass is compulsory. Government buses will not be operated between zones. For all other kinds of travel – between zones and between states – all the norms around mandatory e-pass and quarantine that are in force at present will continue to be applicable.

Body 2:

Coronavirus

State health minister C Vijayabaskar also said that the rate card will be released in a couple of days.

PTI

TN govt to cap treatment costs for COVID-19 care in private hospitals

Image for representation/PTI

Tamil Nadu Health Minister C Vijayabaskar, on Saturday, warned private hospitals against fleecing coronavirus patients and announced that a rate card for charging people battling the pathogen in private health facilities will be fixed in a day or two. Two rounds of talks with private hospitals have been concluded on the issue of rates for treating COVID-19 patients, the Minister said adding "rate fixation" will be in place in a day or two. Asked about some hospitals allegedly fleecing patients, Vijayabaskar said it has come to the notice of the government too that charges were on the higher side in some hospitals."This is (high charges) for sure wrong. This is the time to serve; do service," he told reporters after inspecting a new Covid Care Centre (CCC) with 1,400 beds at Pulianthope in North Chennai to house coronavirus patients with mild symptoms. Apart from four large government medical college hospitals in Chennai, the CCCs are functioning out of several locations, including some belonging to private colleges."I appeal to private hospitals. They should approach patients with a sense of service like the government," he said. The rate card for services offered will be in tune with the amenities in a health facility and it shall specify charges for individual rooms, shared spaces and the general ward, the Minister pointed out. The rate structure will be released by the government and in case any private hospital was found overcharging, action shall be taken against them as per the Clinical Establishments Act, he said. Similarly, negotiations were on with private laboratories to cut down rates for COVID-19 testing, he said. As per ICMR guidelines, the rate was fixed at Rs 4,500 for testing and talks were on to bring it down further, he said. The government has fixed Rs 2,500 as the fee for testing using the Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme in private facilities, he said. In the government sector hospitals, the testing is done free of cost. To a question on the high number of cases in Chennai, he said testing will be further scaled up by intensifying door- to-door surveillance and even people with even mild flu like symptoms were being covered."There is no need to fear the numbers and there should be no politics based on numbers."

Body 2:

Coronavirus

Several people requiring transfusions and surgeries have been asked to arrange for their own donors.

Bharathi SP

Image for representation

Seven-year-old Amir’s* family considers themselves fortunate. Despite blood banks facing shortage of blood supply, the family has managed to arrange for blood which was required to speed up the treatment he was undergoing at the Institute of Child Health and Hospital in Egmore. Amir had to undergo chemotherapy, and amid the lockdown the family struggled to bring him to the hospital because of the lack of transportation and little money they had on hand. Further, on arriving at the hospital, the doctors informed them that they had to arrange for blood for his treatment. “The hospital authorities told us that they can arrange for blood but the treatment process may get delayed. So they told us to arrange for blood. I didn’t want to take a risk during the coronavirus crisis by delaying the treatment. I wanted my son to get cured and discharged home soon. Hence I requested all my friends to come and provide O positive blood. The blood was not a rare category so people came forward to help. We took a day to arrange for the blood,” said Amir’s father to TNM. Blood banks are facing a shortage of blood supply forcing recipients in need to wait for days. Even commonly found blood groups, like Amir’s, which were more easily available prior to the lockdown, are increasingly difficult to come by. Many hospital authorities have begun telling patients to arrange for their own donors. The shortage in the blood storage amount of the blood banks also pushes people to search for donors in the midst of a pandemic. Those travelling to the city from other districts are the worst affected, said Amir’s father, “They come here without knowing anyone just for the sake of treatment. All the donors they know are from their districts. The donors cannot come due to the lockdown. In those scenarios, they are left to wait till the hospitals arrange for blood. There was one more patient who needed O positive and they could not arrange, so finally I helped them arrange for it.” Similarly, Ramakrishnan who had to undergo a bypass surgery too was finding it difficult to arrange for the A negative blood required for a transfusion. “The hospital informed us that due to the lockdown they are finding it difficult to arrange for blood. They asked us to arrange for 6 to 7 donors. We tried approaching different blood banks but were told to wait. We then sought the help of volunteers through whom we were able to arrange blood within two days. Luckily we had been informed 3 days before the surgery that we needed to arrange for the blood on our, but if it had been an emergency then we would have found it very difficult,” says Ramakrishnan’s relative Sathya. On the other hand, arranging large quantities of blood during this time is proving to be difficult. “The blood banks can store blood only for up to two months. As it has already been two months since the lockdown period started, blood banks need new donors to come forward and give blood. The blood banks usually get blood from camps, however, due to the lockdown only the regular donors are providing blood resulting in the lack of availability. People are unable to move from one district to another so those willing to give should only go to the blood banks in their respective district. Because of the current pandemic, blood banks located on hospital premises are finding that many do not want to go to a hospital as the donor is afraid of falling sick,” said Ismail, a blood donor and a volunteer arranging blood. “The hospitals tell us to arrange one or two units of blood but sometimes when there is excess bleeding this increases the need for blood, in those emergency situations we are unable to arrange blood for the donor,” he said. As the hospitals have also started arranging for surgeries the demand for blood has also increased resulting in a shortage, said an employee with a blood bank in Chennai. “The blood is available but there is a shortage in certain types of blood. When compared to normal days since it is a pandemic definitely there will be a lesser amount of blood available. The youngsters including college students and IT employees are the major blood donors but as they are unable to move around to donate blood there is less stock,” said an employee with the Lions Blood Bank. Rajesh Dhanya, a member of Sankalpa Foundation’s Bombay Blood Group network, a volunteer organisation which arranges blood, also noted that there has been a sharp increase in demand for blood donors. “The need for the blood has gone up as there is more requirement now that lockdown restrictions have eased. Unfortunately the gap between availability and requirement is more. Until three weeks ago it was not as much of a problem as only patients with Thalassemia or certain types of cancer were the ones who were regularly in need of blood for transfusions,” she says. “However, now the reserves have been exhausted and we are finding it difficult to provide blood to those who require it. We are also unable to conduct blood donation camps as IT parks and colleges don’t function. The industries are trying to get back on track with 50% workforce so we cannot ask them to donate blood. So the supply-demand gap has definitely increased.” *Names changed

Body 2:

Coronavirus

Earlier in May, a staff member who was working out of Perambur office of Southern Railways tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Megha Kaveri

Multiple railway quarters declared hotspots in Chennai as 7 officials get COVID-19

Image for representation/PTI

Due to the increasing number of railway officials working in Chennai Central testing positive for the novel coronavirus, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has marked a few residential blocks in railway staff colonies spread across the city as COVID-19 hotspots. This comes days after the headquarters and divisional office of Southern Railways were shut down after a few senior officers were confirmed of having COVID-19. According to a senior officer in Southern Railways, seven officials – five in the divisional office and two in the headquarters – have tested positive for coronavirus as of Sunday. This includes a senior operations manager and a Public Relations Officer. Most of these officers reside at the Railway staff colonies in Nungambakkam and Teynampet. Hence the GCC has marked one block each in the Sterling Road colony and Pycroft’s colony as hotspots. Two residential blocks in the Railway staff colony in Rostrevor Colony in Teynampet have also been designated as a COVID-19 hotspots by the Corporation. In effect around 350 persons related to the officers have been isolated at their houses across these residential colonies. “The entire family of six of one of the COVID-19 positive officers has also tested positive in Rostrevor colony in Teynampet,” added the senior officer. The Division and the Southern Railway Headquarters buildings have been shut down for disinfecting since Thursday and are scheduled to reopen on Monday. As a precautionary measure, one of the office buildings belonging to Southern Railways in Chennai Egmore was also shut on Friday. Earlier in May, an employee working in Perambur tested positive for coronavirus. The employee was reporting to work to prepare the salary statements of the railway staff. Following this, the Railways had traced at least 20 other staff members who had come in contact with the COVID-19 positive employee. TNM has contacted the officials of Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) for more details. The story will be updated once we receive response.

Body 2:

Coronavirus

Ninety five new COVID-19 patients had arrived in Tamil Nadu recently from other countries and states.

TNM Staff

Chennai reports 804 new cases of COVID-19, TN tally crosses 22,000

Image for representation/PTI

Recording one of the highest single-day spikes in COVID-19 cases, Tamil Nadu reported 1,149 new cases on Sunday (May 31), with 804 of those cases in Chennai alone. The state also reported that 13 persons undergoing treatment for COVID-19 died in the last 24 hours. Of the new cases reported on Sunday, three persons had recently come to Chennai from other countries – United Arab Emirates and Myanmar – and five passengers had flown to Tamil Nadu from other states – Delhi and Maharashtra. Another 87 persons were tested positive after they recently returned via road or train to Tamil Nadu from other states, namely Andhra Pradesh (3), Bihar (2), Delhi (1), Gujarat (2), Haryana (1), Jharkhand (1), Karnataka (6), Kerala (3), Maharashtra (61), Odisha (3), Puducherry (1), Rajasthan (1) and West Bengal (2). Thus the total number of COVID-19 cases reported in Tamil Nadu stands at 22,333 as of Sunday, with 9,400 active cases. Chennai, in total, has 14,802 COVID-19 cases followed by Chengalpattu with 1,177 cases. Of the cases from outside the state reported on Sunday, 36 persons were tested positive in Salem district and 26 in Railway quarantine. The state health department has also tested 12,807 samples on Sunday – the state has tested over 4.91 lakh samples in total as of Sunday. On Saturday, Tamil Nadu reported 13 deaths of patients including patients with no comorbid conditions. A 37-year-old man from Kancheepuram with breathing difficulty died at a private hospital in Chennai on May 29 at 10.40 am due to acute respiratory distress syndrome. A 49-year-old male man Namakkal with complaints of fever, cough and breathlessness died at Government Medical College Hospital in Namakkal on May 29 due to respiratory failure, pneumonia. A 55-year-old male from Chennai died in RGGGH on Saturday at 3 pm due to cardiopulmonary arrest, grade II COVID Pneumonia, renal failure, respiratory failure, systemic hypertension. A 39-year-old woman with chronic kidney disease died of COVID-19 in Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital on Saturday due to cardiopulmonary arrests, COVID pneumonia, respiratory failure, chronic kidney disease.

Body 2:

Crime

The incident took place on May 18 when Suresh Kumar realised his bike, kept in front of his lathe workshop in Coimbatore, was missing.

TNM Staff

TN man who stole bike to get home during lockdown couriers it back to owner

On Sunday, Suresh Kumar, a resident of Coimbatore, received a call from a courier office, saying that his bike was ready to be delivered to his house. He realised that it was his bike that was stolen two weeks ago. The person who stole the bike couriered it back to the owner, to the address found in the Registration Certificate of the vehicle. According to reports, Prasanth (30), a resident of Mannargudi, was working in a bakery in Coimbatore. On May 18, he had stolen a bike belonging to 34-year-old Suresh Kumar of Sulur, Coimbatore, allegedly to go to his home in Mannargudi town in Tiruvarur district of Tamil Nadu. Suresh had parked his bike near his lathe workshop in Kannampalayam Pirivu when it went missing. Around 1 pm on May 18, when Suresh realised that his bike was missing, he approached the Sulur police with a complaint. However, he was allegedly told that since the police were busy with COVID-19 work, the investigation on his case would begin only after the lockdown was lifted. Suresh, hence, decided to comb through the CCTV footage around the spot where his bike went missing. The visuals retrieved from a CCTV camera in a shop near the lathe workshop showed a man fleeing on Suresh’s bike. Suresh, who inquired with the persons nearby and had reportedly circulated the visual on WhatsApp, found out Prasanth’s details. When Suresh went to check Prasanth’s house in the village he was staying on the outskirts of Coimbatore, he was told that Prasanth had left for his native town and was not available. Prasanth, meanwhile, after reaching Mannargudi reportedly realised that he has been traced by the owner. On Sunday afternoon, Suresh received a call from a courier office in Sulur that his bike was ready to be delivered. Prasanth had, apparently, couriered Suresh’s bike to the address found in the Registration Certificate of the vehicle, allegedly fearing legal repercussions. Suresh, however, had to shell out Rs 1,400 as ‘Luggage and Packaging charges’ to get his bike. He also told the media that he will not be pursuing the case and that his bike was in good condition.

Body 2:

Crime

The accused, in her 30s, had taken the infant under the pretext of showing it to her sister who had also delivered in the same hospital.

TNM Staff

Three-day old newborn kidnapped from TN hospital, traced within hours by cops

Image for representation

A three-day-old boy was kidnapped from a hospital in Tirupattur district and was traced by the district police within hours of his disappearance. As per reports, Resein Sultana, from Krishnagiri district, gave birth to a baby boy on May 29 in the government hospital in Tirupattur. A woman, around 30 years old, soon approached the parents and requested them to give her the baby so that she could show it to her sister, who had also given birth to a girl child in the same hospital. She told them that her sister was fond of baby boys more and wished to see one. The parents -- Resein and Sheriff -- handed over their infant to the woman. The baby’s grandmother also accompanied this woman. However, the unidentified woman walked faster within the hospital, making the grandmother lose sight of her. As the grandmother went back to the infant’s parents and related the incident, Resein raised an alarm and alerted the security and medical staff in the hospital. Tirupattur SP (Superintendent of Police), P Vijaykumar who visited the hospital, checked the CCTV footage and conducted an inquiry and immediately sent an alert to all the check-posts and the village vigilance committee. As the members of the public readily cooperated, the police were able to trace the baby to a house in Tirupattur town within a few hours. The baby was hidden in a cloth. Police recovered the infant and handed him over to his parents. Meanwhile, the woman Reheena who had kidnapped the baby, was arrested. Speaking to The New Indian Express, Vijaykumar said that Reheena was originally from Salem district and was not part of any organised gangs that kidnap children. He also added that the police have instructed the hospital to monitor and maintain a record of those who are entering the premises so that these kinds of incidents can be avoided.

Body 2:

Coronavirus

ICMR had earlier mandated asymptomatic pregnant women to be tested for COVID-19 five days before delivery. But it changed its policy on May 18, requiring only symptomatic cases to take the test.

Anna Isaac

pregnant woman sits on bed and holds her stomach

Image for representation

It’s been two weeks since the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) changed the testing strategy for COVID-19. The May 18 advisory narrowed testing to nine categories. Among the key changes is that asymptomatic pregnant women, who were mandatorily tested for COVID-19 five days before delivery if they were from a cluster or containment area, now no longer need to be tested. Only pregnant women who display symptoms of Influenza like illness — acute respiratory infection, fever and cough — need testing. While ICMR has not offered any explanation for its May 18 change in testing strategy, with a large percentage of COVID-19 patients being asymptomatic in Tamil Nadu (98% in Chennai as per some estimates), the move by the apex body for medical research has drawn flak from practitioners and others. Dr K Kolandaswamy, former Tamil Nadu Director of Public Health (DPH), insists that pregnant women be tested, irrespective of whether they display symptoms or not. “Doctors and other caregivers who are handling pregnant women will feel more confident. The care will be better,” argues Dr Kolandaswamy. Given that the virus is highly transmittable, the former DPH also notes, “There are pregnant women who are high-risk — they may have hypertension and diabetes. If you test a pregnant woman and she tests positive, you can isolate them and not put others at risk if they are in the same ward. It is beneficial to other high risk mothers who are admitted in general wards.” So, how are doctors dealing with the change in testing strategy? A doctor at a government hospital in Chennai says that health officials had earlier directed them to create a separate ward for COVID-19 patients and non-COVID-19 patients. A separate theatre was also spared to perform C-sections at the government hospital, she says. “Positive patients were isolated. They were then treated separately. Now we don’t know. Because we are asked to treat only the symptomatic people,” says the doctor, who adds that they are still trying to screen as many patients as possible. The government doctor points out that the hospital has been seeing a steady increase in the number of pregnant women who have tested positive for the coronavirus. “We have treated 75 COVID-19 patients, maybe 35 delivered. Around 15-20 are yet to deliver. Last week, we had one case per day. This week three to four per day. More and more cases are coming. Last month, it was one per week,” she says. With asymptomatic patients not being tested, doctors like her are forced to treat every patient as a positive case. “We see to it that we are not in close contact with the patient. We question them, and when we are examining, we ask them not to talk cause conversation when we are very close is another problem,” she explains. And while the full personal protective equipment (PPE) is used only at the time of delivering positive patients, they choose to wear other gear for those who are asymptomatic given Chennai’s sweltering heat. “Yes, it is very difficult. But what we do is we have an N95 mask and face shield and an apron type of gear. Wearing the full PPE suit is not possible in the labour ward set up. We wear a surgical apron type in the labour ward,” she says As far as the wards are concerned the doctor says that with patient admissions restricted, beds are placed wide apart to ensure physical distance between women. However, the obstetrician observes that visitors of patients also pose risk to both hospital staff and others. The doctor says, “One problem is, we are checking the patients but we are not checking the attenders. They come with maternity patients from containment zones. We are not able to control the attenders. So 100% we can’t say that all these patients are negative. Though they may have (COVID-19).” As far as private hospitals are concerned, several obstetricians are still insisting that patients who are likely to deliver be tested for COVID-19 before they get admitted. Dr Kurien Joseph, of Dr Joseph Hospitals, a private hospital in Chennai, says, “We can’t honestly be scared of every single patient coming. So every patient, a day before they come for elective induction of labour or anything, we get the test done. It takes 24 hours. I don't know why ICMR came up with the new guideline not to test asymptomatic cases. But we have been able to bypass that. And we are still doing it for all the patients.” However, he adds, “The labs are getting a lot of flak from the government for that.” Dr Kurien also flags another issue, where patients testing positive were only allowed to be treated in the approved list of COVID-19 hospitals in the state. “Earlier the issue was that even if they tested positive, we couldn’t take them. Now gradually, the Health Department is saying that if it is positive and they are asymptomatic, you can continue treating in your hospital.” But beyond the risk of exposure to other patients and health professionals due to ICMR’s new strategy, Dr Kolandaswamy offers another reason to test all pregnant women who are likely to deliver soon. He says that they provide the state a good sample to test for community spread of the disease. “Pregnant women come from different backgrounds, multiple social sections, and communities. They make an excellent default sample for surveillance,” says the former DPH. Health Minister C Vijayabaskar clarified that there is no ban on testing. He told Times of India, “We only don’t want any indiscriminate testing to allay fears in asymptomatic individuals. This may lead to abuse of kits. RT-PCR is a precious resource now. It cannot be wasted.”

Body 2:

Coronavirus

While records from the government hospital showed that 58-year-old Priscilla Mary tested positive for the coronavirus, the Dean clarified that there was an error in the case sheet.

Priyanka Thirumurthy

The matron's mortal remains being moved from the hospital

Fifty-six-year-old Janet is inconsolable. The Chennai resident had waited for four days in the punishing heat, outside the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH), for information about her dying sister or even a chance to talk to her. Pricilla Mary, a 58-year-old matron, who worked at RGGGH, had been admitted on May 24 to the hospital after she experienced breathlessness, fatigue and complications due to diabetes. And while doctors who treated her allegedly maintained that she was responding to treatment, on May 28 the senior nurse was pronounced dead. And her family never got the chance to say goodbye."My sister died like an orphan. They didn't even let us see her. She struggled, suffered and left this world all alone," laments Janet. "This is the most cruel fate for her and the family. They say she died because of diabetes and not coronavirus. But if she was not positive for the coronavirus, why did the hospital force us to stay away till the very end?" she asks, her voice choking with emotion. Janet's allegations are based on multiple factors leading up to the matron's death. The first is a written report from the hospital which was photographed and circulated, stating that the matron tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes the disease COVID-19. The government hospital later denied this, claiming there must have been an error in the records, but the family is not convinced. Admitted with other COVID-19 patients"Instead of keeping my sister in the Intensive Medical Care Unit (IMCU) which is for regular patients, they had admitted her in the rheumatology block which is exclusively for COVID-19 patients," points out Janet. "When we asked the doctors about it they kept saying they wanted to shift her but they were not getting a window to do this. First, they said she was fine, then they reported that she was feeling breathless and the last time that they spoke to us, she was dead. How do we accept this?" asks Janet. According to Priscilla's brother, Ebenezer Arul, amongst the reasons given for her death to the family was - sepsis, diabetes and pneumonia."We don't understand what really happened," he admits to TNM. "They said that a toe that was amputated years ago had got infected and that is one of the reasons for her death. But why did she have pneumonia then? We weren't given any answers. And we were too shocked to ask more questions," he adds. The Dean of RGGGH Dr Jayanthi R however maintained that the matron had tested negative twice for the infection and that entries on the case sheet could be a mistake. The Dean's denial aside, the most difficult aspect of Priscilla's death for the family was being unable to even see her while she was hospitalised."We could have said a few words to comfort her, to tell her we are there for her. But they didn't even give us that chance. None of us are even able to come to terms with this death. She was supposed to retire in March but when the tenure of doctors and nurses was extended due to the coronavirus pandemic, she agreed to stay," Janet explains. Ebenezer says the entire family was against her going back to work."We asked why she had to suffer more especially when she was diabetic," he says. "But she made it clear that service comes first. Even her children told her to stay back. But she didn't listen to anyone. That is how much she believed in doing her duty," he adds. ‘How can we work fearlessly?’ Former and current colleagues add that Pricella's death has sent shockwaves through the medical community."The ambiguity over whether she tested positive or not has made us all very scared, " says nurse Valarmathi, the General Secretary of the Nurses' Association and a former colleague of Priscilla in the Thanjavur Government Hospital. "I called her on Sunday (May 24) morning for some important official details. She sounded very sick and said she had a fever and breathlessness as well. I told her that these were COVID-19 symptoms and that she should get treated. She was admitted on the same day," she adds. Valarmathi points out medical professionals have been working tirelessly for two weeks now to help overcome this COVID-19 crisis."If there is no transparency when it comes to even our health, how can we work fearlessly?" she asks. Infact, a nurse from RGGGH who had worked with Priscilla, tells TNM that the COVID-19 protocol was invoked after the matron died."Bleaching powder and a black wrap was done as it usually is for COVID-19 patients," she says. "If she was not COVID-19 positive, they would have made the family get a white cloth and wrapped the body with that before handing it over. Moreover, why will they place a patient with cormorbidities in the COVID ward when they are not positive?" she asks. According to Ebenezer, the family is still in the dark about whether his sister was infected or not."We were scared but put the burden on God and buried her. We couldn't worry about all that," he says. "She has helped so many people during her tenure - from the Kumbakonam school fire, to the Tsunami and even now during the coronavirus, she has worked tirelessly. But she died unable to see her own family. That was our only thought," he adds. Valarmathi also points out that till the very end Priscilla's sense of duty never faded."As soon as I spoke to her on Sunday, she sent me a part of the details that I had requested despite her poor health," she says. "She said she'll send the other part later, but she died before she could. Perhaps the only time, her duty remains unfinished," she adds.

Body 2:

Coronavirus

23,495 people in the state have tested positive till date for the coronavirus.

TNM Staff

IMAGE FOR REPRESENTATION/PTI

Tamil Nadu reported 1,162 cases of COVID-19 on Monday, including 50 returnees from other states. Of the new patients, 685 are male, 473 are female and four are trans persons. 23,495 people in the state have tested positive till date for the novel coronavirus. 413 patients were discharged following treatment on Monday. 964 persons tested positive in Chennai on Monday. Three in the city were classified as 'imported cases'. This was followed by Chengalpattu and Thiruvallur districts where 48 and 33 persons tested positive, respectively. One returnee from Haryana who returned by domestic flight tested positive, while 49 others arrived in the state by road or train — including 32 from Maharashtra, 10 from Delhi, three from Karnataka, one each from Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. 11 people succumbed to the disease on Monday, including a 31-year-old woman from Chennai. This takes the total number of deaths in the state to 184. Among these are also seven men, all but one over 60. A 72-year-old male from Chennai with Diabetes Mellitus, Coronary Artery Disease, complaints of fever and generalised tiredness admitted on May 22 at a private hospital, died on May 26 due to severe pneumonia. A 64-year-old male from Chennai with Diabetes Mellitus, complaints of fever, cough admitted on May 16 at a private hospital, died on May 30 at 11.40 pm due to Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Metabolic Acidosis and Septic Shock. A 45-year-old male from Chennai with complaints of fever, cough and breathing difficulty admitted on May 22 at a private hospital in Chennai, died on May 30 at 3.35 pm due to Respiratory Failure. A 65-year-old male from Pudukottai with Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertension, CAD, Severe LV Dysfunction was admitted on May 28 at 1.15 pm in Pudukottai Medical College Hospital. His COVID-19 test sample was taken on May 29. The result on May 30 was positive. The patient died on May 31 at 3.30 pm due to Cardiorespiratory Arrest, Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertension, CAD, COVID positive and Poor LV function. A 64-year-old male from Chennai with systemic hypertension, chronic kidney disease was admitted on May 31 at 4.09 pm in Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH), Chennai. His COVID-19 test sample was taken on May 29. The result on May 31 was positive. The patient died on June 1 due to cardiopulmonary arrest, COVID-19 pneumonia, type 1 respiratory failure, systemic hypertension and chronic kidney disease. An 80-year-old male from Chennai with Type II Diabetes mellitus, systemic hypertension was admitted on May 30 in RGGGH, Chennai. His COVID-19 test sample was taken on May 29 in a private hospital. The result on May 29 was positive. The patient died on June 1 due to cardiopulmonary arrest, acute cerebrovascular accident – left lacunar infarct, COVID-19 pneumonia, renal failure – unclassified, type II diabetes mellitus and systemic hypertension. A 75-year-old male from Chennai was admitted on May 26 at 4.49 pm in RGGGH, Chennai. His COVID-19 test sample was taken on May 27. The result on 28 was positive. The patient died on May 31 at 10 am due to cardiopulmonary arrest, covid-19 pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome. Four women also succumbed to the disease. Three of them were admitted in Chennai and two of them were over 70 years of age. A 70-year-old female from Dindigul with systemic hypertension, type II Diabetes Mellitus, myocardial infarction was admitted on May 25 in Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH), Madurai, who tested positive on May 28. The patient died on May 31 at 2.00 am due to anterior wall MI, uncontrolled Diabetes Mellitus, systemic hypertension and COVID-19. A 75-year-old female from Chennai with Type II Diabetes Mellitus was admitted on May 30 at 2.08 pm in RGGGH, Chennai. The patient died on May 31 due to cardiopulmonary arrest, covid-19 pneumonia, respiratory failure and type II Diabetes Mellitus. A 57-year-old female from Chennai with seropositive rheumatoid arthritis, Diabetes Mellitus, chronic kidney disease, diabetic nephropathy, coronary artery disease was admitted on May 30 in RGGGH, Chennai, who tested positive on May 28. The patient died on May 31 due to cardiopulmonary arrest, covid-19 pneumonia, congestive cardiac failure, type i respiratory failure, seropositive rheumatoid arthritis, Diabetes Mellitus, chronic kidney disease, diabetic nephropathy, coronary arrest disease. A 31-year-old female from Chennai with systemic hypertension, hypothyroidism, morbid obesity and chronic kidney disease on maintenance haemodialysis was admitted on May 29 in RGGGH, Chennai. The patient died on May 31 due to cardiopulmonary arrest, COVID-19, septic shock, respiratory failure, systemic hypertension, hypothyroidism, morbid obesity and chronic kidney disease on maintenance haemodialysis.

Body 2:

Coronavirus

The civic body believes that this will help break the chain of infection.

TNM Staff

Chennai Corporation to shift elderly in COVID prone areas to quarantine centres

Image for representation/PTI

The Chennai Corporation Commissioner G Prakash on Monday listed measures taken by the civic body to protect the vulnerable population as COVID-19 numbers rise in the city. Amongst the steps taken, is the removal of elderly persons and people with co-morbidities from areas with a large number of cases and shifting them to quarantine centres temporarily to avoid infection. On Monday, for the second consecutive day, Tamil Nadu recorded over 1000 cases, taking the state's total to 23,495. A total of 11 deaths were recorded and 10,964 tests were done. Several services have reopened in the city with guidelines for protection and physical distancing. The Chennai Corporation has further stated that they won't hesitate to close shops that don't follow these instructions."Since we are going door to door, the number of cases is high. There are a high number of positive cases now but it will reach a peak and then come under control, is what public health strategists are saying. Tondiarpet and Royapuram alone had about 200 cases yesterday and today. This is because the slum population and density in these areas is high," said Corporation Commissioner G Prakash. He further outlined the interventions that have been planned by the Corporation."We have created several quarantine centres in the city. Corporation schools, government schools and community halls have been kept ready with basic facilities like beds and toilets. In areas where the case load is heavy, we will shift vulnerable people from there," he said. “We want to do this because the infection affects old people and those with co-morbidities. So, wherever there are cases like this, we shift vulnerable people temporarily and give them nutritious food, vitamins, keep them for 1 week to 10 days and then send them back. This is to break the chain of the disease," he explained. The Corporation is also working towards large scale cluster containment."Streets with heavy case loads are identified and there will be outer perimeter control introduced. The outer boundary will be tightened and vulnerable people inside will be brought to quarantine centres as a strict measure," he said. "This is to stop the spread of infection," he added. He further stated that these activities have already begun in a number of wards and that these are scientific measures to control the spread of the virus.

Body 2:

30 inmates at Chennai’s Puzhal prison test positive for coronavirus

Watch: Chennai metro stations could soon have foot-operated elevator buttons

In Chennai, migrant crisis made more difficult with the language barrier

TN allows small screen shootings with 60-member crew from May 31

In highest single day surge, TN records 938 COVID-19 cases

Farmers complain of locust attacks on crops in Tamil Nadu

'Insulted and abused over a teaser': ‘Daniel’ Balaji speaks out on 'Godman' controversy

TN slum clearance board tenement converted into 1,400-bed COVID-19 care centre

Hotels, malls to remain closed in TN, lockdown in four districts till June 30

Travelling inside TN from June 1: All you need to know

TN govt to cap treatment costs for COVID-19 care in private hospitals

Without blood drives and donors, blood banks face a shortage in supply

Multiple railway quarters declared hotspots in Chennai as 7 officials get COVID-19

Chennai reports 804 new cases of COVID-19, TN tally crosses 22,000

Coimbatore man who lost his bike receives it as parcel two weeks later

Three-day-old newborn kidnapped from TN hospital, traced within hours by cops

Doctors question India's strategy to not mandatorily test asymptomatic pregnant women

'Why did you not let us see her?': Family of Chennai nurse who died questions hospital

Tamil Nadu reports 1162 new cases, 10,138 patients under treatment

Chennai Corporation to shift elderly in COVID prone areas to quarantine centres