A week after public transport services resumed, Greater Chennai Corporation officials have pointed to the possibility of a high level of immunity among residents to explain the absence of any spurt in COVID-19 cases.
The Greater Chennai Corporation is expected to start another serosurvey to assess the exposure of residents to COVID-19. A senior official said over 50% of the city residents were likely to have developed immunity against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that is causing COVID-19. “We have to start another serosurvey to assess the condition in the city. We have not found any major change after the relaxation of the lockdown. We will have to wait for 28 days to know the actual impact of the relaxation,” said an official of Chennai Corporation.
Crowding has been increasing in commercial areas like George Town. Residents were found thronging shops without any regulation in major commercial establishments. However, the number of cases has not increased among traders in these areas, officials said.
Zonal officials said the number of cases had not increased in most of the neighbourhoods even after the lockdown was eased. “The surveillance has remained the same. But the cases have not increased after the relaxation. There are a few local eruptions,” said an official.
Officials at the COVID-19 care centres in the city said a few senior citizens and persons with obesity had been admitted with unusual symptoms in the past few days. The city has registered a negative growth rate of cases in the past seven days in 10 of the 15 zones. However, the zones of Adyar, Kodambakkam, Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, Teynampet and Sholinganallur have registered an increase in the number of cases. Kodambakkam has reported the largest number of cases, with over 1,100 residents testing positive.
The growth rate of cases in the past seven days in this zone is 0.5%. Sholinganallur has reported the highest rate of growth. Manali has reported the lowest number of cases and a negative growth rate of cases.
The city has registered a negative growth rate because of a reduction in the number of cases in the zones of Manali, Perungudi, Anna Nagar, Madhavaram, Tiruvottiyur, Royapuram Ambattur, Tondiarpet, Alandur and Valasaravakkam.
The case fatality rate has come down to 2%. Tiruvottiyur, Royapuram, Tondiarpet, Thiru Vi Ka Nagar and Teynampet zones have registered a case fatality rate of more than 2%.
