The three-time MLA of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, J. Anbazhagan, died at a private hospital in Chennai on Wednesday morning, days after he tested positive for COVID-19 . Incidentally, Wednesday was his 62nd birthday.
Data | Tracking death rates helps gauge India's COVID-19 response better
Anbazhagan, who had a chronic kidney condition, is among the most prominent politicians to have contracted COVID-19 and died. His death came on a day when Chennai accounted for another high of 1,392 of the 1,927 cases reported in Tamil Nadu . Overall cases in the city increased to 25,937 and total deaths to 260.
Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Ahmedabad have accounted for nearly 1,25,000 cases and 4,193 deaths, close to 43% of the overall cases and more than half of the total number of fatalities in India, signifying how the novel coronavirus has affected urban metropolitan centres. These cities continue to register the bulk of new cases and deaths.
The daily increase in registered cases and deaths reached new highs on Wednesday, with 10,787 new infections taking the total to 2,86,897 and 357 deaths added to the overall tally of 8,105. A total of 1,45,216 samples were tested on Wednesday, up from 1,41,682 the previous day.
Mumbai has been the worst-hit metropolis, with 52,667 cumulative cases and 1,857 deaths, and the city’s health infrastructure remains under severe strain. While the city has built multiple jumbo facilities and augmented beds for quarantine, there has been a dearth of hospital beds, particularly in the Intensive Care Units (ICUs). As on Tuesday, 99% of the 1,158 ICU beds for COVID-19 patients and 76% of the 5,181 oxygen beds were occupied. Nearly 96% of the 506 ventilators were also occupied. Ahmedabad continues to have the highest case fatality rate in the country among major cities at 7.13%, with 1,092 deaths and 15,305 cases as on Wednesday.
Interactive map of confirmed coronavirus cases in India | State-wise tracker for coronavirus cases, deaths and testing rates
Delhi, with 32,810 cumulative cases and 984 deaths, has reported more than 1,000 new cases every day for 12 of the past 13 days. After the Lieutenant-Governor on Monday reversed the AAP government’s decision that treatment in government-run and private hospitals would be only for residents of Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said the Lieutenant-Governor’s decision would be implemented. Health Minister Satyendar Jain said that by June 20, the government would arrange 15,000 hospital beds, which are likely to be needed by June 30 and more in the coming days.
Health workers collect samples at a COVID-19 test centre in Pudupet, Chennai on June 10, 2020.
Chennai has been reporting 1,000-plus cases since June 3. The city accounts for 260 of the State’s 326 deaths. An official of the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine said six zones of the Greater Chennai Corporation continued to report a high number of cases. While Royapuram accounted for 4,192 cases, Tondiarpet had 3,192 cases. The remaining four zones had more than 2,000 cases each as on June 10. morning. The Directorate is diverting 112 mobile medical teams from 25 districts to Chennai to monitor and follow up on home-isolated COVID-19 patients.
( With inputs from bureaus )
