Covid-19 in Tamil Nadu: 35 flights at Chennai airport Monday, state sees 805 new cases

In the highest single-day jump in the state, 805 new cases were recorded in Tamil Nadu on Monday. While briefing the media via video conferencing, state health minister C Vijayabaskar said 88 per cent of the Covid-19 cases in Tamil Nadu are asymptomatic.

With domestic flights resuming services across India after two months, 35 flights plied between Chennai and major cities in India on Monday.

There were 16 arrivals and 19 departures at the Chennai International Airport today. The first flight to Chennai was from New Delhi, which touched down at 8.15 am. The last flight is expected to arrive at 10.10 pm, again from New Delhi.

The first flight from Chennai, bound for New Delhi, departed at 6.35 pm, while the last flight for today departed from Chennai at 9.30 pm for New Delhi.

E-pass system to monitor passengers at city airport

Tamil Nadu has activated an e-pass registration system through a help-desk at the Chennai International Airport to monitor domestic air-passengers coming into the state. Those without the e-pass will not be allowed to leave the airport premises.

All passengers have to register their details online and obtain an e-pass, which will be stamped. The e-pass will be linked to taxis that they might take from the airport to their homes. Passengers are allowed to use their personal vehicles as well, following social distancing norms.

Security officials adept in Hindi have been deployed to handle non-Tamil speakers at the airport and make them aware of the safety procedures.

Like other states, Tamil Nadu will subject passengers arriving in the state to a basic medical screening at the airport. Asymptomatic passengers are allowed 14-day home quarantine, while the symptomatic passengers will be taken to health facilities for testing. Paid quarantine facilities are available too. In case of symptoms, passengers can inform the district call center (1077) or the nodal officer.

5,000 from Assam depart for home

Over 5,000 people from Assam, who had been stranded in Chennai in the lockdown, departed for their homes on Monday. The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) had provided them with accommodation at Guru Nanak College in Velachery, Asan Memorial College of Arts and Science in Medavakkam, Jerusalem College of Engineering at Pallikaranai and Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University in Taramani.

Teams from the GCC provided them with food and conducted routine medical examinations.

Thousands of migrant workers journey back home

Thousands of migrant workers who were stranded across Tamil Nadu returned to their hometowns via seven Shramik Special trains on Monday.

A train between Salem and Balasore departed at 12 pm, while another train between Katpadi and Balasore left at 12 pm.

A third train from Madurai to Hatia left at 3.45 followed by a fourth train from Coimbatore to Akbarpur at 4.30 pm.

A fifth train bound for Muzaffarpur left from Tiruvallur station at 6.45 pm. This was followed by a sixth train from Chennai to Haridwar, which departed at 7.05 pm from the Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M G Ramachandran Chennai Central Station.

A seventh train from Madurai to Balasore departed at 7.20 pm.

All the passengers were thermally scanned before boarding and were instructed to adhere to social distancing norms while boarding and travelling.

State chief secretary wants incoming flights limited to 25

Tamil Nadu chief secretary K Shanmugam wrote to Union aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Sunday, asking for incoming domestic flights to Tamil Nadu to be limited to 25 per day, while any number of outgoing flights can be operated.

Shamugam also requested that flights from Gujarat and Maharashtra, which have reported a high number of Covid-19 cases, be kept to a bare minimum to ensure essential travel.

805 fresh Covid-19 cases; 88 per cent asymptomatic: Health minister

Tamil Nadu reported 805 new Covid-19 cases on Monday, taking the tally to 17,082. The total cases on Monday included 93 returnees from Maharashtra, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Kerala. As many as 548 people tested COVID-19 positive in Chennai, taking the total number of cases to 11,131.

While briefing the media via video conferencing, Tamil Nadu Health Minister C Vijayabaskar said that 88 per cent of the COVID-19 cases in Tamil Nadu are asymptomatic. On Monday, 11,835 samples were tested, and so far, 4,21,450 samples have been tested.

There are 8,230 active cases in Tamil Nadu. On Monday, 407 people were discharged and seven deaths were reported in the state, taking the toll to 118. The recovery rate in the stands at 51.11 per cent and the mortality rate is 0.69 per cent.

Apart from Chennai, 54 cases were reported in Chengalpattu, 36 in Tiruvallur and 19 in Kancheepuram today. Eighteen districts reported zero cases today. Eighty one passengers who returned from other countries and 35 passengers who returned from other states have tested positive to date in Tamil Nadu.

Vijayabaskar said that 486 people landed in Chennai today. He said domestic air travel is a challenge for the government. “The passengers who come to Chennai need to follow the SOPs listed by the TN government. All the passengers are screened and we have issued all the guidelines regarding that,” he said.

The Health and Family Welfare Department of Tamil Nadu released five types of symptoms distribution of Covid-19 cases. As per the bulletin, 40 per cent of the cases had a fever, 37 per cent had cough, 10 per cent had sore throat, nine per cent had breathlessness and four per cent had running nose.