Chennai has become one of the major cities in India to face the grim challenge of containing the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The city has been reporting unprecedented surges in cases and infection rates, majorly contributing to the increase in the state's total tally. The city is witnessing the rise of containment zones and the dearth of hospital beds and oxygen. Amid such distressing development, the experts had given a shocking warning to the city that it has to prepare to see the escalation of the challenge.

According to reports, the Epidemiologists at the National Institute of Epidemiology in Chennai had warned the city with their projection that Chennai would report 19,000 fresh COVID-19 cases on May 15 alone if the current trend of growing infections remain. If the projection comes true, it would be the highest single-day rise recorded by the city. As per the data from the state health department, Chennai has been reporting around 4000 cases every day for the past few days. 

The Epidemiologists had said that the projection has been done based on the present rate of reproduction of Coronavirus in the city.   They also had presented the model in which they had underlined that the city would have around 1.25 lakh people under the treatment for the virus by May 15 and also alarmed that the infection can be controlled only by adhering to the guidelines and protocols.  

According to the experts, the peak can be contained by the factors of wearing masks, observing physical distancing, avoiding in-person meetings, dining in restaurants, and encouraging the vaccination. Speaking to a news agency, an expert from the institute said, "The model is done based on the number of new COVID-19 cases in the past few days. Vaccination is underway too and hence the projection of 19,000 cases does include the vaccination rate as at present". 

"However, if the rate of vaccination undergoes a change in the coming days, the projection will change too", the expert added. The reports say that the projection was done for a short period of time since there is a possibility of a change in the virus reproduction rate, which will lead to a change in the projected numbers as well. Chennai has emerged as the epicenter of the second wave of the pandemic in the state. 

On Sunday, Chennai has reported 4,206 fresh cases, which had become one of the highest single-day rises recorded by the city. On Sunday, the state has reported 15,659 cases, which had become the highest single-day rise recorded by the state since the outbreak began. The state has been battling the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and according to the health department, Tamil Nadu has reported 10,81,988 cases so far as of Sunday of which 1,05,180 are active cases, 9,63,251 have been discharged, and 13,557 had succumbed to the viral infection.