As Tamil Nadu is caught with the third wave of the pandemic when it is just a week into the New Year, Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian has said that the wave, comprised of Delta and Omicron Covid variants, is spreading like Tsunami and he reiterated government's appeal to the people to adhere to the Covid-19 appropriate behaviour and guidelines. In a tone of warning, the health minister had likened the spread of the variants to Tsunami on Thursday, when the state has got imposed with the new set of restrictions. 

While addressing the reporters in Chennai on Thursday, Ma Subramanian has said both Omicron and Delta variants are spreading like a tsunami in Tamil Nadu and the government has installed 30 Corona Care Centres in Chennai to treat those who had contracted the pandemic. He said, "We have 904 beds in Chennai Trade Centre, Nandambakkam, another 104-bed facility at Injambakkam and in Tondiarpet, we have a 200-bed facility. We are also setting up beds in marriage halls."

By quoting the guidelines from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on the hospitalization, the health minister said, "Ever yesterday, ICMR has suggested that people who were fully vaccinated and have been infected by the Omicron variant may pick for home isolation. We are doing the same and not everyone requires to be hospitalized, only those who do not have the facility to isolate at home or who need treatment can be hospitalized." 

The health minister was inspecting hostels as new Covid-19 cases were reported at the Madras Institute of Technology in Chennai and he was accompanied by Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister K Ponmudi. After the inspection, Ma Subramanian has said a majority of the students affected were infected by the Omicron variant. "We have adequate laboratories and also have three lakh kits on hand to test whether someone has been affected by Omicron", the health minister added. 

Ma Subramanian has appealed to the people not to get panicked over the surge in Covid cases and he said the government has been suggesting the people who have got vaccinated against Covid and have been affected by Omicron go for home isolation, instead of picking hospitalization. While Tamil Nadu had reported 6,983 fresh cases on Thursday, which is recorded as an unprecedented rise in recent times, the state has also reported 721 discharges and 11 deaths.

Overall, the state has recorded 27,67,432 cases so far as of Thursday of which 22,828 are active (including isolation), 27,07,779 cases were discharged while 36,825 people had succumbed to the pandemic. The Omicron variant has also been threatening the state amid the vaccination campaign. As per the health department's data, Tamil Nadu has reported 121 Omicron cases so far as of Thursday of which 64 cases weren't linked to international travellers. Of the total 121 cases, 117 have been recovered and discharged.