In a meeting with district collectors on Tuesday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami emphasised on the need to further decrease mortality rates in the state due to COVID-19. He stated that awareness among residents regarding the virus should be increased.
District collectors should increase awareness among people on the need to seek healthcare assistance by visiting hospitals within 24 hours of the manifestation of symptoms like fever, breathlessness, fatigue and a loss of taste, said the Chief Minister.
“Priority must be given to samples of senior citizens and those with comorbidities while conducting RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction) tests to detect COVID-19. Test results should be declared expeditiously,” he advised.
The Chief Minister asked the collectors to monitor if the protocol for treating COVID-19 patients was being followed in government and private hospitals.
“District collectors should periodically inspect the amenities at COVID care centres,” he said.
So far Rs 7,323 crore has been spent on prevention, treatment and relief for the coronavirus pandemic, he said.
In view of a string of measures to combat COVID-19, Tamil Nadu's recovery rate is above 90.50 percent and mortality is low at 1.60 per cent, he noted.
Though Tamil Nadu has a low mortality rate, it needed to be further reduced and district collectors, in consultation with health officials, should intensify measures to make it happen, Palaniswami said.
As of September 29, Tamil Nadu's death toll was 9,453, which includes 3,195 patients from Chennai, 551 from Chengalpattu and 545 from Tiruvallur.
The active number of cases stood at 46,306 as of Tuesday and cumulatively, 5,36,209 people recovered of the 5,91,943 total cases.
The government's measures to contain the spread of pandemic earned the praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister said, and thanked frontline workers, officials and Ministers for the appreciation.