In Tamil Nadu, the total number of COVID-19 cases crossed one lakh today. The addition of 4,329 new cases took the exact figure to 1,02,721. The new cases include 2,082 in Chennai, which carries the maximum caseload in the state. Analysts say, the figure reached a little over 50-thousand in 103 days since the reporting of the first case in the state in March. In the next 16 days, it doubled to one lakh.<br />''<br />''Meanwhile, the Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswamy has announced that in view of the COVID-19 situation, the free ration of dal, sugar and palm oil will be extended to the public for the month of July also through the public distribution system. This will be in addition to the free rice scheme that is in vogue. <br />''<br />''Furthermore, the State Health Minister Dr. Vijayabhaskar has said, bed capacity for treating COVID-19 is being increased in Chennai. Talking to reporters today at Stanley Medical College Hospital in the city, he said, the bed capacity has been doubled to 800 in the hospital and an additional 400 beds are being established there, all with piped oxygen cannulas.<br />''<br />'' Meanwhile, Siddha, the Indian system of medicine, along with Allopathy, is emerging as a promising option in the clinical management of COVID-19 as said by the Chennai Corporation Commissioner Prakash. A report –<br />''<span style="font-weight: bold;"><i><br />'' <u>Siddha medicinal system coupled with Allopathy has been introduced in a COVID Care Centre in Chennai a few months back. The State Health Department and the Corporation officials noticed an encouraging result with the integrated approach. It led them to go for extending the method to more such centres housing asymptomatic patients without comorbidity conditions. For example, the Jawahar Engineering College in the city has been converted into a COVID Care Centre with Siddha and Allopathy integrated system. So far, 744 patients have been admitted there and 569 have been discharged after recovery. They included thirty patients today. All the others are also stable. A 90-year old, three people aged more than 80 and 11 aged more than 70 are some of the successfully discharged patients from there. This has given confidence for the State Health Department and the city civic body to further expand the method to other care centres as well and officials say works are on in that direction.</u></i></span><br />