Health Minister Ma. Subramanian on Tuesday appealed to luxury hotels to avoid holding New Year celebrations because of the steady rise in fresh COVID-19 cases in Chennai.
Talking to reporters here, he said that in a letter to all the States, the Union Home Ministry had stressed the need to take measures to control the transmission of the contagion.
“It has been advised that New Year celebrations should be avoided... There are many star hotels in Chennai. Many persons could take part in New Year celebrations, if organised. As of now, there are no advertisements or announcements. Hotels will understand that they have a social responsibility. We are appealing to these hotels not to conduct such celebrations. We hope they will treat our appeal as an order. However, the police and the local bodies will watch out for such events,” he added.
As on date, Tamil Nadu had 34 confirmed cases of the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, Mr. Subramanian said. “Of them, 22 persons had been discharged earlier. On Monday evening, seven persons were discharged. Only five persons are under treatment at hospital, and they are doing well.”
‘Patients doing well’
He said 118 persons, whose samples showed the S-gene dropout (an indication of the Omicron variant), were also doing well at hospital, and the results of the genome sequencing of their samples were awaited.
Mr. Subramanian said COVID-19 cases were gradually increasing in Chennai. “While the number has come down in many other districts, it remains above 100 in Chennai. I request all people to ensure 100% mask usage. It is a cause for worry that only 32% to 33% of those in slums wore masks and 57% to 58% of those who visited commercial complexes used masks. People should ensure that they wear masks once they step out of their homes. Residents of Chennai should set an example for others,” he said.
Earlier, he flagged off multi-purpose mobile ophthalmology vehicles at the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology and Government Ophthalmic Hospital. The launch of district-wise multi-purpose mobile ophthalmology vehicles was announced in the Assembly. “Five vehicles were announced, and three were launched. The remaining two will be put to use soon. A total of ₹90 lakh was spent on the three mobile units that will cover Salem, Ramanathapuram and Tirunelveli,” he said. These units would help in identifying persons requiring treatment for eye disorders.
“At the national level, the prevalence of visual impairment among persons aged above 50 is 1.19%. The rate is 1.18% in Tamil Nadu. There are cases of cataract and diabetic retinopathy in rural areas,” he said. These units would camp in villages and screen people.
Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments P.K. Sekarbabu was present.
