Covid-19:2 die, 38 test positive in TN; total cases 1,242
Chennai, April 15 (IANS) Tamil Nadu on Wednesday reported two more Covid-19 deaths and 38 more positive cases, taking the state’s total deaths and positive cases tally to 14 and 1,242 respectively over the past 24 hours, Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar said.
He also said 37 persons were discharged over the past 24 hours, taking the total of such cured patients to 118.
Speaking to reporters here, Vijayabaskar said out of the 38 new cases, 34 belong to single source.
The two men who died are aged 47 and 59, he said.
According to him, the mortality rate due to Covid-19 in Tamil Nadu is very low at 1.1 per cent and the focus is on keeping the number low.
Vijayabaskar said the clinical management of the Covid-19 patients are good in the state.
According to him, the state has 26 labs with a capacity to carry out about 5,320 coronavirus diagnostic tests per day — the highest in the country.
Discounting the criticism about insufficient protective gears for the doctors, Vijayabaskar said per day 20,000 N-95 masks and 200,000 three-layered masks are being issued.
He said the supply chain is also maintained efficiently and about 150 persons are managing the supply chain.
On drugs to treat Covid-19 patients, he said there is sufficient stocks to treat about 1.5 lakh patients and also sufficient number of test kits.
According to him, the stock of ventilators is also sufficient and the state had taken proactive measures well in advance to procure masks, PPE, test kits, ventilators and others.
He said new manufacturers are also coming in to set up production facilities to make the necessary items which would beef up the supplies in the state.
Vijayabaskar said there is no community spread of coronavirus in Tamil Nadu if one goes by the increasing number of samples tested daily and the decreasing number of persons testing positive.
Testing of 1,383 samples is under process, he said.
Currently, 107 asymptomatic passengers from highly affected countries are quarantined in facilities near airport and 1,876 in hospital isolation.
–IANS
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