Chennai: 41,643 in TN get jab against Covid

Chennai: The state’s vaccination numbers touched 41,643 on Tuesday, the highest since the drive began, with senior citizens leading the way. Of those vaccinated, 14,903 were senior citizens, 9,383 were in the 45-59 age group, 8,770 were health workers and 8,687 frontline workers. “It is heartening to see people in their 90s coming to government hospitals for the vaccination. They are really showing the way to the rest of the community,” said health secretary J Radhakrishnan. “More than 80% of the people come to government centres, where the vaccination is given free of cost,” he said.
Following reports that residents welfare associations and social organizations planned to organize vaccination camps, the directorate of public health has asked hospitals and doctors not to organise camps outside permitted hospitals.

On Tuesday, the welfare association of TAISHA, the residential complex for IAS/IPS officials in Virugambakkam put out notices announcing that Greater Chennai Corporation has permitted vaccination camp at a clinic on campus on Wednesday. While the Chennai Corporation said they had given permission as it was “cohort registration,” the directorate of public health Dr T S Selvavinayagam permission will not be granted. “Clinical settings that do not have adequate facilities to resuscitate patients in case of adverse vaccine reactions will not be allowed. Every centre offering vaccination has to be approved by us,” he said.

In Coimbatore, Thudiyalur-based Sreevatsa Gardens House and Apartment Owners’ Association also said it had tied up with Sri Lakshmi Medical Centre and Hospital to host a vaccination camp in their gated community’s clubhouse on Wednesday. The city health officer S Raja, later clarified that it cannot be done. Residents can go to Lakshmi Hospital, he said.
Meanwhile, the state registered 462 fresh cases and one death on Tuesday, which took the total number of cases in the state to 8,52,478 and toll to 12,502. Chennai was the only district to report a death and the district topped the cases table with 167 new cases, followed by Coimbatore with 39 and Chengalpet with 33. All other districts reported less than 25 cases, and 24 of them reported cases in single digits. Tirupathur was the only district to report zero cases.
Meanwhile, health minister C Vijayabaskar tweeted that his parents took the vaccine at the government hospital in Illupur and appealed to people above 60 years to get vaccinated.