Positivity rate down to 3.5%: Minister

Tamil Nadu’s positivity rate is down to 3.5% from final month’s 10%, Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar mentioned on Tuesday, whilst one other 2,435 individuals examined optimistic for COVID-19 within the State.

“COVID-19 cases are on a declining trend. At a time when the positivity rate is 15% and 35% in other parts of the country, Tamil Nadu’s positivity rate is 3.5%, from 4% last week and 10% last month,” he instructed reporters in Chennai.

Several creating international locations are fighting a second wave of infections, with European international locations recording 2.5 lakh circumstances every day and the U.S. reporting one lakh circumstances, he mentioned. “Kerala and Delhi have been reporting 5,000-plus cases. We have been registering a declining trend after a peak in July and August,” he added.

It was an achievement for the State to have examined over one crore samples via RT-PCR exams, which is the gold customary for testing, he mentioned. “Even today, it takes three to five days for laboratory results in some developed countries. However, we have reduced the time from the earlier 24 hours to 10 hours now. If a sample is given in the morning, the laboratories provide the results by evening,” he said. The mortality rate can be declining. From 120 deaths earlier, the variety of deaths has lowered to 70, and this has additional declined to 30 now. This has been doable due to the efforts of healthcare suppliers, the Minister mentioned.

Referring to the second wave of infections in lots of developed international locations, he mentioned the competition season and winter in December had been challenges for the State.

“Preventing a second wave of infections is in the hands of the people. We can prevent a second wave of infections only if people cooperate. We can bring the number of cases to zero if everyone wears masks, continuously, for three weeks,” he mentioned. The lesson learnt from Europe is that testing and tracing can stop a second wave of infections, he added.

“Celebrate Deepavali by following public health norms, with self-restrictions. There are chances of industrial, family, workplace and festival clusters,” he added. Public well being norms applies to all political events, protests, conferences, marriages and different features, he mentioned.

So far, 2.34 crore individuals have been screened via fever camps. A complete of 4,39,000 fever camps have been held within the State. Till date, 10 lakh individuals have been fined and ₹8 crore collected as effective for not carrying masks and adhering to bodily distancing norms.

With the contemporary circumstances, the State’s tally rose to 7,31,942. As one other 2,707 individuals had been discharged, the whole variety of individuals discharged up to now crossed seven lakh. As many as 7,01,527 have been discharged up to now. Another 31 individuals (16 in personal hospitals and 15 in authorities amenities) died, taking the toll to 11,214.

Of the brand new circumstances, Chennai reported 669, whereas Coimbatore noticed 238. Chengalpattu and Tiruvallur reported 136 and 113 circumstances respectively. The remaining districts had lower than 100 new circumstances. This included Salem (97), Tiruppur (98) and Kancheepuram (90).

With one other 70,398 samples examined, the general pattern rely elevated to 1,01,69,917.