TN CM appeals to people not to panic over coronavirus

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Thursday sought to allay fears over coronavirus, saying the state was home to the best medical practitioners in the country and people need not panic.

Making his first comment on the coronavirus in the state Assembly on Thursday, Palaniswami said the disease spread only through those people coming from foreign destinations and those living in the state were not affected.

The state reported its first coronavirus case on March 7 in which a 45-year-old engineer hailing from Kancheepuram had tested positive after returning from Oman.

The Chief Minister said the government was screening those who come to the state from various foreign destinations and those showing symptoms were isolated and given proper treatment at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGH).

Reiterating the earlier comments made by Health and Family Welfare Minister C Vijayabhaskar that the disease was spreading through those individuals who had returned from overseas, Palaniswami said facilities are available to give proper treatment to those people if they show symptoms of the virus.

"There is no need to worry. Around 1.50 lakh people who had arrived from foreign countries were screened and only those with symptoms of the virus are given treatment by isolating them," Palaniswami said.

Meanwhile, Vijayabhaskar, in his social media account, said the 45-year-old patient undergoing treatment would be discharged in couple of days. "Subsequent mandatory tests on the corona patient at RGGH have again been negative. He will be observed in a stepdown care facility and shall be discharged in couple of days," he said. "I reiterate this is not a miracle but because of the meticulous screening and treatment adopted by the TN Health department", he added.