India News | TN Reports 5,300 Plus Virus Cases, CM Asks Centre to Share 50 Per Cent of RT-PCR Test Cost

Chennai, Sep 23 (PTI) Tamil Nadu on Wednesday reported 5,325 fresh COVID-19 cases taking the tally to 5,57,999 while the death toll mounted to 9,010 with 63 more fatalities.

With 5,363 patients getting discharged from various hospitals, the cumulative number of cured people breached the five lakh mark. The state has tested (RT-PCR) 67,25,037 samples, including 84,979 on Wednesday, and Chief Minister K Palaniswami urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a virtual meet on the pandemic situation to fund at least 50 per cent of the cost of the tests, an official release said.

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The positivity rate in the state has come down from a high of 10.47 per cent in July to 6.2 per cent currently, he said.

Referring to initiatives like door-to-door survey and fever camps, Palaniswami said the proactive approach had resulted in a declining trend of new positive cases all over the state. The Prime Minister lauded the role of the people and the Tamil Nadu government in curtailing the spread of the pandemic and the state ranked first in the country in the "e- sanjeevani" initiative. Pointing out that Tamil Nadu is continuing its strategy of aggressive testing through RT-PCR method, considered the gold standard to screen for the virus, and it accounted for the maximum such tests in the country, Palaniswami took up with Modi the hefty cost of the tests being done. "These tests cost nearly Rs 6.8 crore a day. I request the government of India to fund at least 50 per cent of the cost of the PCR tests from the PMCARES fund as the state is facing financial difficulties for incurring such expenses continuously," the Chief Minister said. The COVID-19 bulletin said the active cases stood at 46,249, while the total recoveries was 5,02,740. Those dead included 59 with co-morbidities and four with no chronic diseases. Chennai recorded 3,097 fatalities out of the total 9,000 plus deaths. Of the 5.57 lakh plus positive cases, Chennai accounted for 1,58,594. Palaniswami, referring to his review meetings in 26 districts, said Tamil Nadu provided effective medical treatment, due to which the state has maintained a low death rate which was now at 1.62 per cent, one of the lowest in the country and recovery rate of about 90 per cent, one of the highest. "I also wish to state that because of the comprehensive action of my government, the positivity rate in the state has come down from a high of 10.47 per cent in July to 6.2 per cent currently. As on date, in no district, the positivity rate is above 10 per cent." The deaths due to COVID have also been reduced from an average of 100 deaths per day to around 70 deaths per day, he noted. Moreover, the positive cases per day in Chennai have now been reduced below 1,000 from around 2,300 in June.

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"From the beginning, Tamil Nadu promoted Indian medicine system to supplement our treatment procedures," he pointed out, adding in order to strengthen health care services at grassroots, the state government had announced setting up 2,000 mini clinics in areas where there are no Primary Health Centres for treating ordinary fever and other cases.

"I am happy to state that Tamil Nadu is implementing the eSanjeevani OPD Scheme very successfully and ranks first in the country, with more than 1,26,525 consultations till date," he said, referring to the online platform facilitating consultation with doctors.

(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)