The third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic has hit hard on the shores of Tamil Nadu as the state has been reporting a big jump in daily cases, with Chennai becoming the latest epicentre for the virus spread. Chennai has been witnessing a Covid deluge with a huge contribution to the state's tally. The development of rising cases has come when the state is going back to the lockdown era with the new set of restrictions that came into force on Thursday - January 6.

The sudden swell in the cases has put the health mechanism in an ordeal to contain pandemic and its new variant Omicron. On Thursday, Tamil Nadu has reported 6,983 fresh Covid cases and shockingly, the case count was a 43% increase to what was reported on Wednesday -4,863 cases. At least three fourths or 75% of 6,983 cases that were reported on Thursday were from Chennai and its three adjacent districts - Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, and Kanchipuram, and the city has seen a 55% increase in the cases in a single day.

Chennai has reported 3,759 cases and five Covid deaths on Thursday while Chengalpattu, Tiruvallur, and Kanchipuram had reported 816, 444, and 185 cases respectively. Tamil Nadu Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan said, "We are witnessing a cascading effect of the infection into the adjacent districts." According to the health department's data, Coimbatore had reported the highest number of cases, after Chengalpet and Tiruvallur, with 309 while Chennai's other neighbour Vellore had reported 223 cases. 

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. Like Covid, Chennai tops the table with more Omicron cases. The city has reported 90 cases of Omicron and all of them have been discharged. Following Chennai, Chengalpet has reported six Omicron cases, Thiruvallur with five cases, and Madurai with four cases. 

On Wednesday, the Tamil Nadu government has imposed Sunday lockdown and night curfews in the state in light of the growing Covid cases. The new restrictions have come into effect on Thursday and the state will have a complete lockdown every Sunday and a night curfew from 10 pm to 5 am every day. Shops, hotels, and other establishments will be closed during the night curfew and on Sunday while the essential services including private and public bus services, milk and newspaper distribution, hospitals, ATMs, petrol and diesel stations will be allowed to function. 

Restaurants are allowed to carry out the parcel services from 7 am to 10 pm and the public will be allowed to travel during 10 pm and 5 am on all days if they are travelling on buses and trains or from the airports. They have to show the proof of their travel, failing which they will not be allowed to proceed further. The government said that the metro trains will not be functioning on Sundays and during the night curfew and all public transport, including metro and buses will function at 50% capacity. 

While the government has ordered to shut the amusement parks, it has said that theatres, shops, and gyms will be allowed to function with 50% occupancy. Beaches will be open to the public only for walking and religious places will be open but people will not be allowed to enter such places on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The government has also banned all Pongal festivities, gatherings, rallies, and cultural fests in colleges and other educational institutions.