Chennai, Sep 11 (IANS): Tamil Nadu Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan has asked all the District Collectors (DCs) to stay alert following a marginal increase in Covid-19 cases in the state. The directive was issued on Friday.

While the rise is marginal the test positivity rate (TPR) that stood at 0.97 per cent on September 4 touched 1 per cent on September 10. Even though the increase is negligible the state government is not taking any chances.

The Health Secretary in the circular to the DCs said the increase in TPR is not due to the increase in testing but actual increase in Covid positive cases which cannot be taken lightly. He impressed upon the DCs to increase vaccinations and enforce Covid-19 appropriate behaviour among the people.

Areas such as Chennai, Chengalpattu, Coimbatore, Tiruvallur, Tirupur, Erode, Nagapattinam and Madurai had fluctuating TPR results for the past few days.

Radhakrishnan told the DCs that the emergence of new clusters of Covid-19 in workplaces and communities is a worrying trend. A family in Chennai, according to health department officials, reported five Covid positive cases on Friday.

While the admission of new Covid-19 patients in government hospitals in Chennai remained the same in the past one month, doctors, according to the public health department officials, opined that there was a marginal increase in admission of Covid-19 patients in private hospitals.

Suchithra V. Menon, Public Health Expert at Chennai, told IANS, "There is a slight or rather marginal increase in the admission of patients with Covid positive results in private hospitals. It is negligible but considering the history of the pandemic, the state government is not taking any chances and hence the Health Secretary's directive to all District Collectors."