■ Health dept officials fear surge in COVID cases in State

CHENNAI: As the numbers of COVID cases in the State, mainly in Chennai, see a surge, State Health Department officials fear a further spike in the future. Officials said lack of compliance to masking and safety protocols can lead to an increase in numbers like Kerala and Maharashtra.

Tamil Nadu recorded 479 new cases on Sunday, including 182 in Chennai. The numbers saw a declining trend after the second week of February. The numbers had reached as low as 450 in TN and 150 in the city.

However, the numbers are seeing a surge lately. The health department officials say the increase in numbers is not a good sign as it can lead to a situation similar to Maharashtra and Kerala, which are recording several thousand cases on a daily basis.

On Sunday, Chengalpattu reported 46 new cases and Coimbatore recorded 42. Tiruvallur had 30, while Kancheepuram reported 20. The number of cases reported in the State so far touched 8,51,542.

Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan said non-adherence to safety measures is being witnessed in public spaces and the use of masks has reduced. “With the focus shifting to vaccination drive, people should not shy away from the need to follow safety procedures and the use of masks. We need to be more cautious as the neighbouring State is seeing a large number of cases. We have increased the surveillance on borders,” he said.

On Sunday, three deaths were reported (one in private and two in government hospitals). The total number of deaths in the State stands at 12,496. Active cases of COVID-19 in the State stands at 4,022, after 490 more people were discharged from several hospitals. So far, 8,35,024 people have been treated for COVID-19 across the State.

The health department officials say the increase in numbers is not a good sign as it can lead to a situation similar to Maharashtra and Kerala, which are recording several thousand cases on a daily basis