The organization of fever camps all over Chennai was the main reason for the drop in Covid-19 cases, Corporation Commissioner G Prakash said on Tuesday when the number of new infections in the city came down to 1078 with 18 deaths as against a State total of 4526 infections and 67 deaths.
After visiting a fever camp in Teynampet, Prakash said the Corporation had identified 81 markets for close monitoring, which was being done with the help of CCTV cameras. People were checked for wearing of facemasks and for maintaining social distancing by a market management committee, led by an Assistance Engineer, he said.
Even now not less than 10,000 tests were conducted in Chennai, he said, adding that banks, big shops and ration shops had been given strict instructions to be followed.
Reacting to a charge that the government was hiding the real figures related to Covid-19, Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar said there was no need for the government to give wrong accounts and that it was maintaining transparency in its dealings.
Minister for Tamil Culture, after inspecting a camp in Kodungaiyur, said that the government had spent Rs 10,000 crore on managing the pandemic and that was one reason the spread of Coronavirus had been brought under control.
In Ennore, a camp had been organized to test people having high blood pressure, diabetes and other heart and kidney ailments. Inspecting the camp, Revenue Minister R B Udhayakumar said the Chief Minister had sought an aid of Rs 9000 crore from the Central government, which had so far provided only Rs 510 crore. More funds were expected from the Centre, he said.
Reacting to a set of advice given by DMK President M K Stalin to the government, Udhayakumar said who would advise the Opposition Leader who was spotted a function the other day without a facemask and added that he should set an example to others.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanisamy and the entire staff at his camp office were tested for Coronavirus on July 13 and none of them tested positive, an official press release said, adding that there were 105 testing centres all over the State and 15,85,782 persons had been tested so far.
On the Chief Minister’s orders Yoga and naturopathy treatment were being given to Covid-19 patients, along with allopathic treatment, Health Minister C Vijaybaskar said in a statement. He said breathing exercises strengthen the lungs and many yoga postures help increase immunity.
So such trainings were given at the treatment centres, where herbal drinks, healthy traditional food, vapour inhalation and aroma therapy are given to patients with the help of over 200 government yoga experts and naturopathy doctors. He said 61,000 had benefitted from these treatments.
The State police on recorded its fourth casualty as a Sub-Inspector attached to Meenambakkam state, Gurumuthy, succumbed to Coronavirus.
Outside Chennai, some of the districts showed a spike in new cases. They were Coimbatore 188, Dindigul 157, Kancheepuram 117, Kanyakumari 122, Madurai 450 and Thiruvallur 360.
