No coronavirus case in Tamil Nadu, 54 have tested negative: Govt

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There are no positive cases of coronavirus in Tamil Nadu where 54 samples have tested negative and 1,243 people were being monitored, state Health Minister C Vijayabaskar said here on Friday. After reviewing arrangements to screen passengers at the airport here, he said the set up has been strengthened now and assured that the government was continuously monitoring the situation across the state.

Apart from the Airport Authority of India, the Tamil Nadu Public Health department has also joined the effort and a 100 -member team including doctors and paramedics are on the job round the clock, he said. Over 8,000 passengers arrive from 50 plus flights everyday here and all of them were being examined for symptoms of the pathogen, he said.

A range of latest equipment, an examination ward and a dedicated ambulance are part of the infrastructure at the airport. "So far 1,00,111 people have been screened at the airport and 1,243 people are being monitored and this will be for 28 days; and 54 samples have tested negative," he said asserting there are no positive cases of the pathogen in the state.

Also, 1,654 people who earlier had some symptoms had been removed from watch list after 28 days of monitoring, he noted. Across Tamil Nadu, 300 beds under separate isolation wards are ready and these can be increased if necessary, he said adding medicine, requisite safety gear for doctors and paramedics and equipment were also available. Private hospitals in the state have been advised to earmark isolation wards and follow protocol for the treatment of virus, he said.

Key railway terminals and the port here have also been included for screening process apart from airports, he said adding the borders with neighbouring states too continue to be under surveillance. The Chief Secretary has sent advisories to district collectors on do's and don't and the guideline includes creating awareness about the virus among the public - especially in places where people congregate in large numbers including schools, colleges, factories and malls. Tamil Nadu has been following precautions and mounted surveillance right after the outbreak of virus when three people from Kerala were infected.

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