For the first time in Tamil Nadu, the number of people discharged in a day, following treatment for coronavirus, was more than the positive cases. This comes a day after the State government had issued revised guidelines for Covid19 patient discharge.
A total of 743 people, including 83 returnees from Maharashtra, have reported positive for the virus (688 on Tuesday) to take the tally to 13,191 on Wednesday. However, 987 Covid-19 positive patients were discharged to a tally of 5,882. This means the active Covid19 cases is 7,219, according to the State government data.
Chennai alone reported 557 positive cases to a total of 7,671.
The State Health Department on Tuesday revised the discharge policy for Covid-19 patients by issuing comprehensive guidelines for the management of the pandemic. This was in line with Centre's guidelines.
For mild or very mild pre-symptomatic cases at Covid Care Centres, a patient will be discharged after ten days of tested positive or date of isolation or data of admission and no fever for consecutive three days. There is no need for testing prior to discharge and patients will be adviced to follow home isolation for a seven days.
For moderate cases, patient can be discharged if asymptomatic for three consecutive days and after ten days of tested positive; no need for testing prior to discharge and patient will be in home isolation for a week.
For severe cases, there will be clinical recovery and patient tested negative once by RT-PCR after resolution symptoms.
Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government has reconstituted Field Support Team for Chennai, Chengalpet, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts. Senior IAS officer J Radhakrishnan will head it. This iso ensure effective containment zone management and contact tracing, testing and quarantine to contain the further spread of the Coronavirus.
Radhakrishnan, who is Special Nodal Officer for Greater Chennai Corporation, will coordinate with the collectorates of Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram and Tiruvalur to contain the spread of the virus.