India News | COVID-19 Cases on the Decline in TN; Inter-state Transport After Further Dip: Palaniswami

Kancheepuram (TN), Sep 11 (PTI) Inter-state public transport will be resumed after further decline in COVID-19 cases, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami said on Friday, while noting the coronavirus pandemic in the state was gradually waning.

The state government had resumed intra-state bus and rail transport from September 7, as part of Unlock 4.

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"The coronavirus cases have started to gradually decline in the state. We can resume inter-state public transport service only after further decrease in the cases," he told reporters here.

Although Tamil Nadu, one of the high prevalence states vis-a-vis coronavirus, has been reporting in excess of 5,000 daily cases for the past few days, active cases have been on the decline, thanks to recoveries outnumbering fresh infections, mostly, during this period.

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As of Friday, Tamil Nadu's total positive COVID-19 cases clocked 4,91,517 but the active cases were 47,918, lesser than the 48,482 such infections on Thursday.

At present, a healthy trend is that about 88 per cent of those who contracted the infection have recovered and returned home, the chief minister said.

He informed the state government has sent a proposal to the Centre to start a medical college here and this was in addition to the 11 such projects already sanctioned for Tamil Nadu.

Earlier, reviewing the steps being taken to contain the virus spread here and in neighbouring Chengalpet district, Palaniswami said doctors have been working with dedication unmindful of the risk to their lives in saving coronavirus patients.

"Even in the absence of a cure for COVID-19, about 88 percent of the infected have been cured. This is a huge success," he said.

The number of infected cases gradually declined from about 7,000 to 8,000 cases in the past to about 5,500 cases per day now owing to the steps taken by the government, he added.

Even the number of fatalities have been halved from about 118 to 120 in the past, due to effective treatment protocols that were put in place by his government, the chief minister said and slammed his political adversaries for criticising the government's handling of the crisis.

"The gradual decline in the COVID-19 cases in Tamil Nadu is a testament of the state government's efforts. Some deliberately accuse the government for political gains and say we have failed to prevent the spread of the disease. Its not true," Palaniswami said.

The government launched various initiatives including conducting fever camps, to prevent the spread of the virus.PTI

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)