28,978 Covid-19 cases, 232 deaths in Tamil Nadu; 7,149 new cases in Chennai

CHENNAI: On a day Tamil Nadu registered 232 deaths and added 28,978 fresh cases to the state Covid registry, health minister Ma Subramanian said the state was building at least142 oxygen generators across hospitals in Tamil Nadu.
At least eight districts such as Chengalpet, Dharmapuri, Kallakurichi, Kancheepuram, Ranipet, Tiruvallur, Tiruvannamalai and Vellore reported 100% occupancy of ICU beds, while Kancheepuram and Dharmapuri showed zero oxygen beds.The state has diverted industrial oxygen to meet demand from smaller hospitals. The case tally crossed14.09 lakh and the total toll touched 15,880. While 12.4lakh people have been cured so far. On Monday, there were 1.5 lakh active cases with 54,443 patients in various hospitals.
While most hospitals will receive a plant worth ₹16 lakh, hospitals in Perambalur, Virudhunagar and Nilgiris will have bigger plants with enhanced oxygen production capacity worth Rs60 lakh each. “In smaller hospitals like the one in Avadi the new plant will help supply about 40 beds,” he said. The state was ramping up beds as most oxygen beds and ICUs are full. “The incidence we are seeing now is four time higher than what we used to see earlier. We are doing our best to ensure quality care,” he said.
On Monday, hotspot Chennai reported 7,149 new cases followed by 2781 in Coimbatore, 2181 in Chengalpet,1024 in Madurai and 1008 in Chengalpet. While 13 other districts reported between 500 and 869 new cases, almost all districts reported more than 100 cases each. Active cases across all zones in the state crossed the 15,000 mark. At least 31 districts reported deaths. With 67 deaths, Chennai remained on top followed by 20 each in Chengalpet and Kanyakumari, 15 in Coimbatore, 14 in Madurai, 13 in Kancheepuram and11 in Trichy.
Of the 232 deaths, at least 58 people who died did not have any comorbid conditions. “Many people in their 20s and 30s report late to the hospitals. When they come late morbidity and mortality increases,” said RGGH dean Dr Theranirajan.
Meanwhile, after reporting a lull for three days, the state carried out 94,890 vaccinations on Monday. So far, the state has offered more than 65 lakh doses of the vaccine.