Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami chaired a video-conference meeting of senior officials and District Collectors from the Secretariat here on Monday, to review the COVID-19 scenario in the State.
New UK strain
About for the new strain of Coronavirus, which has been spreading in the United Kingdom and which is being closely monitored in Tamil Nadu, he said that the government was awaiting results from Pune for samples lifted from patients, who had returned to the State from the UK.
“There are reports that the new strain of Coronavirus from the United Kingdom, is spreading in Tamil Nadu. Blood samples from 13 suspected persons have been sent for testing to Pune. Only after the results are out, will we know whether the samples have the new strain and relevant medical treatment can be given,” Mr. Palaniswami said during his speech in the meeting.
The CM said that the medical experts were of the opinion that the spread of the new strain of Coronavirus was also because of the lack of use of face masks. “The general public must consider all this and follow the guidelines issued by the government without fail. I reiterate that the general public must use face masks while stepping out. The government has been insisting that the only way to check the spread of the disease is the usage of face masks,” he said.
Referring to a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the vaccine drive against the spread of the pandemic, Mr. Palaniswami said, “We are ready with district-level committees for the vaccine drive.”
‘Face masks, a must’
Since the spread of the virus was on the decline, the general public were avoiding wearing face masks, he said. “Only because all districts are implementing the guidelines issued by the government has the spread of the infection has declined in Tamil Nadu compared to other States, and the numbers are less than 1,000 daily in the State,” he said.
Due to the review meetings he had chaired during his visits to various districts, the spread has been quite low in several districts barring only a few, he maintained. “Moreover, several relaxations have been announced and we could see [the return of] normalcy gradually. Due to the efficient administration of COVID-19 containment zones, the spread is under control,” he said.
Over ₹7,000 crore spent
So far, funds to the tune of ₹7,544 crore have been spent by the State government against the spread of COVID-19 and related lockdown relief measures. Over 6.17 lakh fever camps have been organised to screen 3.26 crore people, of which 64,841 were found to have had fever. There are 235 labs across Tamil Nadu, including 67 government and 168 private labs to test for COVID-19.
Over 1.35 crore people undertook RT-PCR tests and the government was continuously procuring medicines and medical equipment necessary in the fight against COVID-19. The government was continuously procuring Tocilizumab 400 mg, Remdesvir 100 and Enoxaparin 40 and also necessary PPE kits, N 95 masks, CT scans, X-ray equipment, among others.
Mr. Palaniswami instructed the officials to tighten their vigil, especially as the Pongal festival season drals close.