The Tamil Nadu health department convened a virtual meeting of the district health officials over the marginal increase in Covid-19 cases and test positivity rates (TPR). The meeting was held on Tuesday with the health secretary also participating.

Some districts in the state have recorded a marginal increase in TPR while in some areas there is a slight spike in the number of fresh Covid cases. The health department is not taking any risks and therefore convened this meeting.

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Salem district showed a marginal increase in TPR up from 2.6 to 2.8 per cent in the past few days. During last week the TPR had come down from 3 to 2.6 per cent.

Tiruvannamalai and Tiruvarur districts also recorded a marginal increase in TPR.

The Greater Chennai Corporation has embarked on a testing spree with the target being 30,000 tests a day instead of the present 22,000 tests. After an increase in small clusters, the health officials have decided not to take any chances.

The health department is worried that with the urban local body elections to be conducted soon, there could be an increase in the number of Covid cases, and preventive measures as well as micro-level management has to be planned well in advance. Another area of concern is the approaching festival season and people coming out in large numbers to shop.

The state reported 28 Covid deaths on Monday.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Ma Subramanian has directed health officials to conduct a detailed inspection of private nursing colleges which have come up in the past ten years during the AIADMK government. He directed the officials to conduct a proper investigation into the infrastructure of these colleges.

Speaking to IANS, Ma Subramanian said, “Several nursing colleges have come up in the state in the past ten years. It’s good but I have received complaints that several of these colleges don’t have proper infrastructure and many of them are functioning in rented premises which is against the rules. We will have to check all these factors and if these colleges are found short of the necessary infrastructure and other facilities, the DMK government will take stringent action.”