CHENNAI: With the State capital showing significant improvement in its battle against Covid, reporting less than 1,000 cases a day for about a week now, the authorities have started closing down a few Covid care centres here. On Thursday, a Covid care centre at Anna University, a referral unit for Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, was closed down. “We had three care centres.
The one on the university campus has been closed down,” said hospital dean Therani Rajan. A senior doctor at Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital said the care centres on the campuses of Anna Adarsh College for Women and Quaid-e- Millath Government College for Women have also been closed down as bed occupancy at these centres had come down to less than 50 per cent.
Now, the hospital is managing with available manpower as PG doctors have been relieved from duty and sent to attend exams, he added. Earlier, a Covid care centre at Stella Maris College, a referral for Government Omandurar Medical College Hospital, was closed down.
Do not ignore symptoms: Min
THE news on closure of centres comes on a day when the new cases in Chennai stood at 989, while those in its neighbouring districts continued to remain high — Chengalpattu reported 453 cases, Kancheepuram 243, and Tiruvallur 390. Statewide, the number of cases reported during the day was 5,835, taking the overall tally to 3,20,355. The 119 deaths during the day has now taken the toll to 5,397. Vijayabaskar also appealed to people not to ignore symptoms like fever or body pain, and approach hospitals at the earliest.
“Many patients are ignoring early symptoms and turning up late with breathing difficulty. Loss of smell or taste is one of the symptoms of Covid. So, people should not ignore all these,” he said. The Health Department is now focussing on reducing cases in Coimbatore, Theni and Cuddalore, the minister added.
Source: https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2020/aug/14/few-care-centres-in-chennai-shut-as-cases-drop-2183117.html
