With 960 persons discharged after treatment for COVID-19 till now, Tamil Nadu’s recovery rate has increased to 52%. The number of persons being discharged from hospitals is on the rise when compared to persons testing positive for COVID-19, said Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar.
On Saturday, the State reported another 66 cases (38 men and 28 women) of COVID-19, taking its total tally of positive cases to 1,821*. A 34-year-old man, a resident of Kundrathur, who had tested positive for COVID-19, died at the Chromepet Government Hospital, at 10.15 p.m. on Friday. Taking his age into account, the Department has ordered that an autopsy be conducted, he told reporters.
With this, the State has reported a total of 23 deaths. There are 835 active cases as on date.
A total of 94 persons were discharged from various hospitals during the day. This included six postgraduates and a staff nurse who had tested positive for COVID-19, at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH), and two PGs at the Coimbatore ESI Medical College Hospital. “The six PGs and a staff nurse of RGGGH have given their consent to donate plasma for treating critically-ill patients,” he said.
Among those discharged, 22 were from the Karur Medical College Hospital, 17 from the Government Vellore Medical College Hospital, and 14 each from the Coimbatore ESI Medical College Hospital and the Theni Medical College Hospital.
None of the patients discharged till now have reported symptoms of COVID-19 again. “We have told them to contact us in case of need. We are continuously monitoring all 960 persons,” he said.
Chennai sees surge
Of the 66 new cases, Chennai accounted for 43 patients. With this, the total number of cases in the city has increased to 495.
“The population of Chennai and its surrounding areas is 1.5 crore. The population density is high. So the disease transmits easily and quickly. On the one hand is the high population and on the other hand is a contagious disease. It is definitely a challenge to keep the disease under control in Chennai,” the Minister said.
To bring the situation under control in the city, the government has deployed additional officials, more number of doctors, nurses and health inspectors, he said, adding: “We are continuously monitoring the city. We are lifting more samples in Chennai. On Friday alone, a total of 1,500 samples were tested in the city. We are taking measures to increase the number of samples in the coming days.”
“The Chief Minister is directly monitoring the activities in the city. He had consulted medical experts, including WHO’s chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan, and based on their advice and recommendation, the lockdown has been intensified in big corporations including Chennai. By this four-day full lockdown, we will get an opportunity to break the chain of transmission. People should extend their cooperation,” he added.
Apart from Chennai, there were seven cases in Kancheepuram, five in Tenkasi, four in Madurai, two each in Perambalur and Virudhunagar, and one each in Chengalpattu, Tiruvannamalai and Villupuram.
Officials said that the new cases included two front line workers and 17 contacts of already positive front line workers.
Of the 37 districts, only Krishnagiri is in the green zone, with no positive cases in the last 28 days. Seven districts are in the orange zone (less than 15 cases). The remaining 29 districts are in the red zone (more than 15 days or doubling time less than four days).
A higher number of men have tested positive for COVID-19 in the State. So far, 1,240 men and 581 women have tested positive.
A majority of the patients are in the 13-60 years age group. In fact, a total of 1,032 men and 471 women fall in this age group. This is followed by 153 men and 61 women aged above 60 years. In the 0-12 years category, there are 55 boys and 49 girls.
At the Government RSRM Lying-in Hospital, Royapuram, a mother, who was COVID-19 positive, delivered a baby. The baby tested negative for the infection, and the mother and child were discharged on Friday. Similarly, a baby born to a COVID-19 positive mother in Thanjavur was discharged, while in Coimbatore, a mother and child were discharged.
Two teams from the Centre are on a visit to the State. The technical team is inspecting all government hospitals. The team has appreciated the preparedness of hospitals, containment plan including tracking and tracing system and dietary plan for patients. The second team is taking up Chennai-focussed activities. He also said that the team has appreciated the State’s recovery rate.
(* This is inclusive of two deaths cross notified to other states and one patient who died after testing negative for the infection)
