As the sequel of soaring cases of the Covid-19 Omicron variant, Chennai has got its first containment zone after several months as the government has brought back the measures of the new normal to curb the spread of the pandemic and its mutants. Tamil Nadu has so far reported 45 Omicron cases as of Wednesday - December 29, including the eleven cases that were reported on Tuesday. Chennai accounts for 90% of the state's total tally, which has prompted the health department to install containment zones. 

On Wednesday, Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian has inspected the city's first Covid-19 containment zone formed since lifting the lockdown restrictions during the second wave. The containment zone is in Chennai's Ashok Nagar. After the inspection, he said that there was no need to panic as all the cases of Omicron that were detected so far are asymptomatic. The health minister said that all the Omicron patients had received two doses of the Covid-19 vaccines. 

Ma Subramanian has visited the containment zone along with Health Secretary Dr J Radhakrishnan, Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi and other officials. Radhakrishnan has said that the containment zone was the first in the city after the lockdown and restrictions were lifted. He further said that a cluster of ten people had got infected with the Covid-19 viral infection two to three days ago and the area has been mapped as a containment zone. 

The Health Minister has affirmed that the present situation is not alarming and he appealed to the people to adhere to the Covid-19 appropriate behaviour and people should come forward to get vaccinated to protect themselves from the pandemic and its variants. By citing that the vaccination against the Covid-19 pandemic would help protect the people, the Health Minister has said that the department has been planning to ensure 100% vaccine coverage of the beneficiaries. 

The Minister further said that in light of the surging Omicron cases, the government has installed Covid-19 care centres at three places in the city with a total bed strength of 500. Preparations have been on to revive the Chennai Trade Centre and also to pace up the RT-PCR testing to 25,000 tests per day, from the present 23,000 tests in Chennai. 

In Tamil Nadu, 86% of the eligible population have received the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine while the second dose has been administered to 58%. The Greater Chennai Corporation has initiated steps to make sure the entire eligible population is covered, including vaccinating those above 60 years. He also added that Chief Minister MK Stalin will launch the vaccination drive for the 15 to 17 years age group at a camp in Porur on January 3 and it will be simultaneously initiated in all the schools across the state. 

According to reports, Tamil Nadu had detected 129 people with S-gene drop and their samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV). On Tuesday - December 28, NIV had confirmed 11 cases of Omicron on Tuesday. So far, Tamil Nadu has recorded 45 cases of Omicron and of these 45 cases, 35 belong to Chennai, four belong to Madurai, three belong to Tiruvannamalai, and one each from Salem, Kanniyakumari, and Tiruvarur.