Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Tuesday said that a proactive and aggressive approach had resulted in a declining trend of new COVID-19 positive cases in Chennai city. Following this, a similar approach is being adopted in the rest of the State.

Participating in a virtual meeting of Chief Ministers chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr. Palaniswami said the Greater Chennai Corporation was carrying out an intensive door-to-door survey. “Around 550 fever camps are conducted daily. So far 33,000 camps have been conducted and 17 lakh people have been screened. We have also established 34 fixed and 10 mobile sample collection centres. So far, 8 lakh RT-PCR tests have been done,” he said.

With the help of 10,000 field workers, 93 NGOs and 2,700 volunteers, symptomatic cases were being identified and vulnerable people were being provided with necessary support.

Apart from deputing IAS and IPS officers’ teams for all 15 zones of the Greater Chennai Corporation, six Ministers were also involved in coordinating and supervising COVID-19 prevention and relief activities.

The Greater Chennai Corporation has distributed free re-usable masks to 47 lakh slum dwellers to ensure compliance and to prevent the spread of the infection.

“We have placed orders for the supply of 4.5 crore free re-usable masks in other Corporations, Municipalities and Town Panchayats and have started the distribution,” the Chief Minister said.