The results of the second serosurvey, which was conducted in Chennai recently to detect the transmission of coronavirus, have revealed that nearly one-third of the city’s population have been exposed to the pathogen. The results have shown an overall positivity rate of 32.3 per cent, authorities said.
This was more than the number of those found affected by the virus during the first survey conducted in July.
“Results of Chennai Serosurvey-II: Serosurvey samples tested- 6,389 out of which 2,062 are positive for IgG antibodies presence with overall positivity of 32.3 per cent,” Greater Chennai Corporation said in a brief statement.
The first phase of the survey, with a sample size of around 12,000, had revealed (on September 1) that a fifth of the population (21.5 per cent) in the metropolis had an exposure to the pathogen.
Restaurants, grocery stores and tea shops to remain open till 10 pm
All shops, restaurants and commercial complexes in Tamil Nadu will be allowed to function till 10 pm from Thursday ahead of the festive season and to facilitate further economic recovery, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami said on Wednesday, easing coronavirus-induced curbs further.
READ | Shops, retail outlets in Tamil Nadu allowed to function till 10 pm
Barring shops located in full containment zones, all others can function up to 10 pm by following the Standard Operating Procedure to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Palaniswami said in an official release.
Considering the upcoming festival season, and the need to facilitate further economic recovery, “vegetable shops, groceries, restaurants, and all shops including tea stalls and commercial complexes are permitted to function till 10 pm from October 22,” EPS said.
Chennai metro introduces micro-plasma oxidation system for sanitisation
In a bid to help keep passengers and staff safe during commutes, Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has introduced micro-plasma oxidation system to provide aqueous stabilised ozone and reduce exposure of harsh chemicals while sanitising the stations and trains in Chennai. According to CMRL, Chennai is the first city to utilise this method of sanitisation.
According to a release by CMRL, the micro-plasma oxidation system, which has been designed by ETA Purification is clean, safe and uses sustainable water for disinfection. Further, CMRL claimed that the system is non-toxic and is approximately 10 to 1000 times more effective than other chemicals against bacteria, virus, etc.
30 containment zones identified in Chennai
The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has identified 30 containment zones in Chennai till date.
Here are the names of the containment streets across the city’s 15 zones as of Friday:
- Tiruvottiyur (Zone 1) – 3 containment zones: VP Nagar 5th Street, Nellikaran Street and Sanathi Street
- Manali (Zone 2) – 7 containment zones: Perumal Koil Street Chettimedu, 1st Street Bharathiyar Nagar Chinnamathur, MMDA – 51st Street, 106th Street, 116th Street and Manali – Thamaraikullam Street and NSK Street
- Tondiarpet (Zone 4) – 6 containment zones: KKD Nagar 5th Block 2nd Street, Nandhanar Street, MKB 16th West Cross Street, Sasthiri Nagar 3rd Street, Butchammal Street and Avoor Muthaiyah Street
- Royapuram (Zone 5) – 7 containment zones: Grace Garden 3rd Lane, Thandavarayan Street, Govindappa Street, Irulappan Street, Budraian Street, Swamy Street and Ayyaswamy Street
- Anna Nagar (Zone 8) – 1 containment zones: Aminjikarai – Limeklin Street
- Teynampet (Zone 9) – 2 containment zones: Choolaimedu – Aziz Mulk Street and Rakkiyappa Street
- Kodambakkam (Zone 10) – 1 containment zones: Narayanasamy 2nd Street
- Adyar (Zone 13) – 2 containment zones: Adyar – Parameshwari Nagar 1st Street and Ekkattuthangal – Danakotti Raja Street
- Sholinganallur (Zone 15) – 1 containment zones: Okkiyam Petti – Thiruvalluvar Street
29 districts report below 100 Covid-19 cases
Tamil Nadu’s coronavirus cases continued to decline as 29 districts in the state reported less than 100 cases. The state reported 3,086 fresh Covid-19 cases on Wednesday taking the overall tally to 6,97,116.
With 39 deaths, the toll reached 10,780. The number of recoveries reached 6,50,856 after 4,301 patients were discharged on Wednesday.
In the past 24 hours, a total of 81,782 samples have been tested, taking the total number of samples to 91,93,849. There are 35,480 active cases in the state.
Of the total cases, Chennai reported 845 cases. So far, the capital city of Tamil Nadu has 1,92,527 Covid-19 cases.
Apart from Chennai, Coimbatore (314), Salem (198), Thiruvallur (180) and Chengalpattu (159) recorded maximum cases.
(With inputs from PTI)
A guard checks a woman's temperature at a temple in Chennai. Express Photo: Srinivas K 
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