TN This Week: More COVID-19 Deaths Though Cases Dip, Spike in Black Fungus

With 30,016 cases reported on May 29, Tamil Nadu is leading in the daily COVID-19 infections in the country. As of this week, the case tally in Tamil Nadu is 20,39,716.

This week’s test positivity rate is 19.75%, not much different from 20.58% of last week. 

The daily death tally is still on a rise, it was above 400 all through the week, and a maximum of 486 on May 29. News of those succumbing to the disease is pouring in every day.

Amid the continuing second wave of infections and vaccination slowdown, the state further extended the COVID-19 lockdown till June 7.

Though the lockdown is stringent with even vegetable shops and provision stores shut this time, automobile and component part factories are allowed to function while they house thousands of workers in close proximity. The unions in these companies are raising their voices against prioritising profits over their safety.

COVID-19: RELIEF FOR CHENNAI, WESTERN TN IN HOTSPOT

Toward the end of the week, there was an overall dip in fresh COVID-19 cases in all the districts that were earlier witnessing a spike.

The number of people who tested positive for the infection dipped below 3,000 in Chennai for the fourth consecutive day. As many as 2,705 people tested positive in the district on May 29.

For the first time during the second wave of the pandemic, Chennai saw a drop in the number of patients in hospitals over the past few days. The decline in hospitalisations has come as a relief to the city, which struggled to find beds for sick patients for the best part of May.

Districts in Western Tamil Nadu continue to record a high number of cases, though there has been a marginal dip in the past couple of days. Coimbatore recorded the highest, 3,692 cases on May 29. Erode recorded 1,743 infections and Tiruppur trailed with 1,697 cases.

The textile exporters and manufacturers in this belt were busy working on their orders till last week when the second wave hit them. The industries became hotspots for the virus spread.

A high number of people succumbed to the infection — there were 85 deaths in Chennai on May 29, followed by 49 in Chengalpet.

COVID-19 DEATHS: PROGRESSIVE JOURNALIST SUCCUMBS

Senior journalist and Left-wing writer R Jawahar (73) died on May 28 after being infected with COVID-19. He is known for his book ‘Communism: Netru, Indru, Naalai’ (trans. ‘Communism: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow’). He was an inspiration to the younger generation of journalists, and was looked up to in the progressive political circles.

Chief Minister MK Stalin, CPI(M) state secretary K Balakrishnan, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) head Thol Thirumavalavan, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee President K S Alagiri, Naam Tamilar Katchi leader Seeman and others expressed their condolences.

Former vice-chancellor of Anna University and former head of Tamil Nadu Curriculum Revision Committee (2017) M Anandakrishnan (92) died on May 29 while undergoing treatment for COVID-19.

PEOPLE READY, BUT VACCINE NOT AVAILABLE

The state’s vaccination figures crossed three lakh on May 27, a majority of them — 2.58 lakh people — were aged 18 to 44 years.

With this, the State’s overall coverage went past 81 lakh. The number of people aged 18 to 44 years who have been vaccinated so far has touched 7.29 lakh.

Greater Chennai Corporation officials said there was a huge shortage of vaccines for the 18-44 years age group. The corporation administered 19 lakh doses till May 27, with 63% of those above 45 getting the first dose. On May 27, 35,760 people were vaccinated, the highest single-day figure.

The state government has asked the Centre to operationalise the integrated vaccine complex (IVC) park lying unused in Chengalpet. Chief Minister MK Stalin in another instance proposed that the assets of the IVC be handed over to the state government on lease, without any past liabilities and with full operational freedom.

The state is simultaneously lobbying for starting production at the refurbished Centre-owned Pasteur Institute in Coonoor.

BLACK FUNGUS CASES ON A RISE

Tamil Nadu has recently been plagued with mucormycosis, five deaths were recorded from the infection in the past week. In the first case, a 42-year-old man died at the Christian Medical College in Vellore on May 26. A 37-year-old man suspected of having black fungus died at the Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital a day later.

On May 26, health minister Ma Subramanian said that 756 people have been affected by the Black Fungus.

AUTOMOBILE WORKERS ON STRIKE

Over the past two months, hundreds of workers of Hyundai, Ford, Renault-Nissan and other automobile factories in the suburbs of Chennai and their family members have been infected by COVID-19. Many workers have also died.

Workers unions in these factories are protesting against their management for running the factories during the ongoing stringent lockdown. The Centre for Indian Trade Unions is demanding leave for workers during the lockdown with full salary. Read more

BLACK DAY AGAINST CENTRE OBSERVED

Members of various farmers organisations, trade unions and political parties hoisted black flags atop their homes and staged protests across districts on May 26 to express solidarity with those agitating against the three farm laws in New Delhi and to press the Union government to repeal the legislation.

The protest was staged in response to the call given by Samyukt Kisan Morcha to observe May 26 as Black Day, marking six months of farmers’ protests in New Delhi.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin said the state government will bring a resolution in the Assembly asking the Union government to withdraw the three farm laws.

MORE STUDENTS SPEAK UP AGAINST SEXUAL HARASSMENT

The famous chain of schools in Chennai, Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan, ran into a controversy after its teacher G Rajagopalan was accused of sexually harassing female students. After the news broke out in social media earlier this week the school suspended the teacher and has been arrested under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Meanwhile, gruesome narratives of sexual harassment instances against school teachers are pouring in from different parts of Chennai. Teachers of well-known schools such as Chettinad Vidyashram, Maharishi Vidya Mandir and others have also been accused. It has brought out a host of issues such as casteism, body shaming, slut shaming, gaslighting etc.