49 new COVID-19 cases as TN follows multi-pronged strategy

He said that the state had adopted a multi-pronged action -- creation of awareness about the virus, sanitisation, monitoring through different control rooms, forming several task forces, containment plan, quick identification of primary and secondary contacts, proper clinical management and testing of samples -- in containing the virus spread as well as the mortality rate.

Speaking to reporters here, Vijayabaskar said the total corona cases reported in the state had risen to 1,372 now whereas those cured totalled 365. A total of 15 persons had died of Covid-19.

"The mortality rate due to Covid-19 in Tamil Nadu is only 1.1 per cent," Vijayabaskar added.

He said that the state is auditing protocols followed in the case of dead persons.

Tamil Nadu has set up 31 corona test labs -- 21 government and 10 private.

On Saturday, the government started using the rapid test kits as per the central government guidelines.

Vijayabaskar said a large number of persons are asymptomatic and if they are suffering from other ailments like blood pressure, diabetes then additional focus will be on them.

Queried about the use of plasma therapy in the state, Vijayabaskar said the Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital has got the Centre's permission to carry out research in this regard while one more hospital is expecting permission.

According to him, the state has a stock of about 1.95 lakh PCR test kits for corona tests.