Number of persons tested positive for coronavirus in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday came down to 33 but the number of patients afflicted with the pandemic in the State reached 1,629. There were 76 new cases of coronavirus on Tuesday evening.
The State saw 27 persons getting discharged from various hospitals on Wednesday. This took the total number of persons cured of the pandemic all over Tamil Nadu to 662, a respite for the administration.
According to a media release issued by the Department of Health on Wednesday, 946 persons are undergoing treatment in various hospitals in the State for coronavirus. The number of causalities due to coronavirus in Tamil Nadu stood at 18 on Wednesday. The Government has set up Stae-level and district-level committees to audit all deaths due to covid 19 disease. An order issued by the Department of Health in this regard said the death audit would help in understanding and lapses if any in prevention and case management.
A disturbing feature in Tamil Nadu is the news that about 35 journalists (mostly TV journalists) have been tested positive for coronavirus. This has resulted in one of the news channels going off the air following the cancellation of transmission. R Rangaraj, president, Madras Reporters Guild, said that it was a matter of concern. “The TV news crew which include the reporter, cameraman and camera assistant travel together in the same vehicle and it is not possible for them to maintain the social distancing stipulated by the authorities. They have to travel to all nook and corners in the city/towns and they become easy targets for the virus,” Rangaraj told The Pioneer.
Another matter of concern is the news that the reporters tested positive for coronavirus had attended the media briefing addressed by Dr C Vijaya Baskar, health minister and Dr Beela Rajesh, secretary, health. There was no press briefing on Wednesday.
M K Stalin, the president of the DMK, warned the Tamil Nadu Government that he would not hesitate to launch an agitation against the State Government’s callous attitude in handling the pandemic. “The news that doctors treating the patients are getting afflicted with the virus and striking work for want of facilities show how unprepared this government is to tackle a pandemic like this,” said Stalin in a statement on Wednesday.