827 new cases in Tamil Nadu, SR headquarters closed

Chennai

The State now has a total number of 19,372 cases of COVID-19. As many as 10, 548 patients have recovered so far with 639 people being discharged on Thursday. 12 deaths were reported across several hospitals in the State, including two persons who died on Thursday, eight on Wednesday, two on Tuesday and one on Monday. The total number of deaths reported in the State has now gone up to 145.With eleven deaths in Chennai on Thursday, the death toll in the city has touched 106. One death was reported in Tiruvannamalai. Most of the patients who died had co-morbid conditions, health officials pointed out.

Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar said that the State Health Department is stepping up the testing of samples for COVID-19. “The State will increase the testing and follow global test practices to control and prevent the spread,” he said.

Meanwhile, the headquarters of Southern Railway (SR) zone and Chennai Railway Division have been shut after a couple of staff tested positive for the virus on Thursday. The zone has instructed officers and staff to work from home. The offices would be closed for disinfection for two days, starting from Thursday.A highly placed railway source who confirmed the closure due to COVID-19 spread revealed that an additional DRM (Divisional Railway Manager) in the NGO building (Divisional headquarters) and a coaching officer in the office of Principal Chief Operations Manager’s office tested positive on Thursday.

Over a dozen employees have come in contact with the ADRM in the NGO building. The first set of identified staff in the divisional headquarters would likely undergo testing from Thursday, an official source revealed.