The COVID-19 case count has come down in Coimbatore after the district administration and Coimbatore Corporation acted upon the instructions of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and Chief Secretary V. Irani Anbu, who conducted meetings to review the steps taken to control the infection spread, Municipal Administration Minister K.N. Nehru said on Monday.
Addressing reporters at the Coimbatore Corporation after learning about the steps taken, he said the case count had reduced by 60% in the past few days and it was 40% of what it was a few days ago.
Municipal Administration Secretary Shiv Das Meena said the positivity rate had also come down from 26% to 13% in the recent past. The strengthening of door-to-door surveys, increasing fever camps and introduction of car ambulances were some of the measures that helped in the case count reduction. Mr. Meena said the Corporation sought details from private clinics and doctors to gather details of fever reporting for early testing and identification of COVID-19 patients.
There was no shortage of oxygen, beds with oxygen and beds at COVID-19 Care Centres, he said and added that the shortage the Coimbatore Corporation reported was that of nurses.Mr. Nehru said to address the shortage, the Corporation had issued appointment orders to 100 persons to work as nurses on a temporary basis for three months. He was here to distribute the orders.
As for controlling Mucormycosis, the Corporation would act as per the instruction given by the Health Department. There was no shortage of medicine for the disease, he also said.
In response to a question on action against private hospitals that over-charged patients to treat COVID-19, the Minister replied that the Collector S. Nagarajan was seized of the issue.
He earlier conducted a review meeting and inspected a few spots where Corporation work projects were under way.
