48 more test positive in TN, tally rises to 738

Chennai, April 8 The total number of Covid-19 patients discharged from hospitals in Tamil Nadu went up to 21 on Wednesday while the death toll increased by one to eight persons, Health Secretary Beela Rajesh said.

She also said the number of persons testing positive in the state went up by 48 on Wednesday, taking the total number of infected persons to 738.

Speaking to reporters here, Rajesh said till date, 21 persons have been cured of Covid-19 and discharged from the hospitals, including a 72-year old person. She said the patients are in a stable condition.

According to the Health Secretary, out of the total 738 persons who have tested positive for coronavirus, 679 persons had attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation held in Delhi's Nizamuddin area last month.

Seven of the infected persons are foreigners, Rajesh said.

The state has 19 test labs for coronavirus out of which 12 are government owned and seven are run by the private sector.

A total of 6,095 blood samples have been tested till date, Rajesh said.

Queried about the varying duty hours for doctors and nurses in different cities, she said it depends on the number of patients admitted to the different hospitals.

She also said the state has sufficient number of testing kits to detect the coronavirus infection.