Chennai: Two die; cases dip below 40 for 2nd day in a row

TNN | Updated: Apr 16, 2020, 06:03 IST

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CHENNAI: Two people died of Covid-19 in Chennai hospitals and 38 more were tested positive for the viral infection on Wednesday, taking the total positive cases in the state to 1,242 and the death toll to 14.
Since March 31, this is the second consecutive day the state has reported less than 40
cases despite testing more number of people, said health minister C Vijaya Baskar. On Wednesday, the state tested 2,739 samples taking the total number of individuals tested to 17,835. “We are seeing fewer positive cases despite conducting more tests. But we are still cautious and continuing with all the precautionary measures,” he said.
The minister, who is addressing the press conference after nearly two weeks, said the state has managed to keep the mortality rate between 0.9% and 1.1%. “Our recovery rates are also climbing,” he said. The biggest reason for death in TN fatalities is the low oxygen level, he said. “More than 80% of people remain asymptomatic throughout their active phase. Among those who show symptoms, deterioration happens rapidly,” he said. Among the 1,110 active patients, nine are in critical condition.
Covid: 118 discharged till now
On Wednesday, 37 people were discharged from various hospitals in the state, including an 83-year-old from Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital and two of her kin, taking the total number of people discharged so far to 118.
A 47-year-old patient admitted to the Stanley Medical College Hospital with severe acute respiratory infection died of Covid and another 59-year-old died at the Apollo Hospitals in Vanagaram.
“He was the only person with severe acute respiratory infection to have turned positive,” the minister said.
Among those who tested positive on Wednesday was a postgraduate student of the Madras Medical College.
The total number of doctors infected in TN now stands at 12. Three other people had contact history and 34 others were from the Tablighi Jamaat cluster, the health minister said. The positive cases from the cluster in TN is 1,113.
The state has 26 labs including 16 in the government sector. While each state lab can test 230 samples a day, private labs can test up to
100. We have the capacity to test 5,320 samples a day, he said.
Intensive containment activity is being undertaken at 558 containment zones, he said. The state has adequate number of hospital beds, ventilators and PPE kits.
“We have placed orders for these and also allowed manufacture of the goods within the state. Today, we received 40,000 testing kits from the Tata Group,” he added.