120-bedded suspect ward for COVID-19 introduced in Tamil Nadu

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], September 18 (ANI): Tamil Nadu Health Minister Vijaya Bhaskar on Friday dedicated a 120-bedded suspect ward for COVID-19 patients under the new initiative to contain the infection.
According to the minister, the people who have symptoms but test negative in the RT-PCR test will be treated here in the ward.
"We have dedicated a 120-bedded suspect COVID-19 ward. Sometimes people test negative in RTPCR tests but they have symptoms, they will be treated in this ward and I am sure that it will help people," Bhaskar told ANI.
He said that Tamil Nadu is a benchmark state for COVID-19 management.
"We have been monitoring all the districts in the state and corona positive case has been controlled now in all the districts. The positivity rate is less than 10 per cent for the first time, that too in relaxation time. The state initially had 75,000 beds which we increased to 1,22,000 and now we have 1,42,000 beds all over the state. We are ready to face any situation. Tamil Nadu is a benchmark state for COVID-19 management," he said.
As many as 5,488 new COVID-19 cases, 5,525 discharges, and 67 deaths were reported in Tamil Nadu on Friday, taking the total number of reported cases to 5,30,908 in the state, including 46,506 active cases, 4,75,717 discharged cases, and 8,685 deaths, according to the state health department.
Earlier today, India's COVID-19 case tally crossed the 52-lakh mark with a spike of 96,424 new cases and 1,174 deaths, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Friday.
The total case tally in the country stands at 52,14,678 including 10,17,754 active cases, 41,12,552 cured/discharged/migrated and 84,372 deaths.
Among the states, Maharashtra has 3,02,135 active COVID-19 cases, Karnataka -- 1,03,650, Andhra Pradesh -- 88,197, Uttar Pradesh -- 68,235, and Delhi -- 31,721. (ANI)