TN has highest recovery rate in country & lowest mortality rate in world: Palaniswami

Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Sunday said that the state has the highest recovery rate in the country and the lowest mortality rate in the world. Palaniswami also informed that 86 per cent of COVID-19 cases in Tamil Nadu are asymptomatic.

According to the state's Health Department, Tamil Nadu has reported 1,515 more COVID-19 cases and 18 deaths on Sunday. The total number of cases in the state is now at 31,667, including 14,396 active cases, 16,999 discharged and 269 deaths.

"86 per cent of COVID-19 cases in Tamil Nadu are asymptomatic. We have the highest recovery rate in India and the lowest mortality rate in the world. We have 72 locations and testing approximately 13,000 people on a single day," Chief Minister Palaniswami said.

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Adding further, Palaniswami said the state has 292 COVID-19 government and private hospitals with 530 doctors and 2,323 nurses on a contract basis. He urged people to follow the COVID-19 safety guidelines like wearing masks and maintain social distancing in order to win over the pandemic.

"We also appointed 530 doctors and 2,323 nurses on a contract basis. Unless there is public support, we can't win over this pandemic, therefore wearing a mask and social distancing is essential and ought to be followed strictly," he said.

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COVID-19 situation in Tamil Nadu

Adding over 8,000 infections in the last eight days, Tamil Nadu's COVID-19 tally on Sunday shot past the 31,000 mark, with a total of 269 deaths, and nearly 17,000 people getting cured of the deadly virus. A 20-year-old girl was among the 18 fatalities on Sunday, even as the daily cases touched a new high of 1,515 leading to a cumulative tally of 31,667 infections, according to a health department bulletin.

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This is the eighth consecutive day the state has reported cases in excess of 1,000. As many as 16,999 people have been cured of the virus so far, leaving 14,396 active cases, including those admitted to the isolation wards. Eighteen among the 1,515 fresh cases were returnees from other states and foreign countries, while Chennai recorded a new high among districts with 1,155 COVID-19 cases, totalling 22,149, the bulletin said.

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(With inputs from agency)