While Chennai city has still been reeling with the sharpest spikes of COVID-19 cases amid the containment strategies to flatten the curve of affected cases, the recent study carried out by the government-run Dr. MGR Medical University has shockingly revealed that the cases may go high in the coming days, alarming the government to enhance the preparedness and measures to mitigate the spread.

According to the study done by the epidemiologists of the varsity, Chennai may hit 1,50,000 COVID-19 cases by the second week of July and with around 1,600 fatalities, which could be one of the highest caseloads of the Indian metro cities. Currently, Chennai has the most number of COVID-19 cases in Tamil Nadu and the city is one of the 13 worst affected Indian cities, leaving the state government with more challenges to tackle the spread.

The study led by Dr. Srinivas and his team predicted that Tamil Nadu's tally may climb to 1.3 lakh total cases and 769 deaths by the end of June. The state has reported 28,694 cases so far as of Friday and through the study, it can be learned that the state may report 1 lakh additional cases within 24 days. The state could also report 400 additional deaths in the same period. Dr. Srinivas has said that the COVID-19 cases would peak in mid-October.

The first week of the fifth phase of the lockdown has recorded the biggest spikes in cases as the state has reported over a thousand cases for the past six days and with two-thirds of total cases, Chennai has contributed largely to the state's tally. In the past 19 days, the state has added 17,256 cases. 

By citing that the state would see a rapid spread, Dr. Srinivas stated that the government has been prepared to tackle the cases with adequate medical apparatus and mechanisms including isolation facilities, enough beds, and intensive care units. The reports stated that the varsity has made similar projections for May month. It had predicted that the cases would climb from 3,097 to 5,442 between May 1 and 10.

In the same period, the state has reported more cases that what it had predicted. The state's tally stood with 7,204 cases in the first ten days of May. The last week of May and the first week of June had seen the sharpest rises of the cases and with the current reporting of 28,694 cases, Tamil Nadu is the second Indian state to have the most number of cases after Maharashtra which has reported 80,229 cases so far as of Saturday morning, according to the Union Health ministry.

Chennai has recorded 19,826 cases so far as of Friday of which 9,437 cases are active, 10, 210 have been discharged while 178 had died due to virus. On Friday, the city has reported 1,116 cases- the highest single-day spike of Chennai since the outbreak. 

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