Coronavirus | 25 fresh COVID-19 cases in Tamil Nadu

CM hopeful of further decline in new cases in days to come.

A jumbo message: A model of an elephant with a mask is taken around Chennai to create awareness about prevention of COVID-19.

A total of 25 patients tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, taking the overall tally to 1,267 in Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami said.

The State has now reported under 40 new COVID-19 cases for the third consecutive day.

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At a press conference in the Secretariat, Mr. Palaniswami maintained that Tamil Nadu was still in Stage-2 and hoped that fresh COVID-19 cases would decline. “Some 150 persons have returned home after medical treatment. In the next few days, positive cases would become negative cases and we hope to see them return home,” he said.

The spread of the pandemic “has reduced” due to the efforts taken by the State government, he said, and added that COVID-19 continued to pose a “major challenge” for Tamil Nadu.

A total of 15 persons had died due to COVID-19 in the State, including one death on Thursday. Tamil Nadu could now undertake 5,590 tests a day at its 27 testing labs, he said.

Asked about the delay in procuring rapid test kits from China, Mr. Palaniswami said that his government had been continuously taking steps to get them. “None of the States in the country has received the kits so far,” he added.

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Mr. Palaniswami also rejected the Opposition parties’ claim that the State government had not geared up in advance to procure medical equipment. He said orders had been placed to procure over 5 lakh rapid test kits though the State had sufficient stock of medical equipment. Listing out efforts being taken by his government, he also rejected the claim of the Opposition parties that there was a rise in the prices of vegetables. “The State government has kept the prices of vegetables in control for the benefit of the needy and the poor,” Mr. Palaniswami assured.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Palaniswami chaired a video-conference meeting with District Collectors to take stock of the situation.

Hitting out at DMK president M.K. Stalin for criticism against the AIADMK government, Mr. Palaniswami said the Opposition leader could not accept the fact that the State government had efficiently tackled the pandemic.

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Mr. Palaniswami questioned the steps taken by the 38 Lok Sabha MPs of the DMK and its allied parties in getting financial assistance from the Centre. Unlike other States where there was political unity in the face of adversity, “only in Tamil Nadu, there are parties that do not cooperate with the government even during these times,” he claimed.