TIRUCHI
Twenty-seven patients, including 14 persons who had attended the religious conference in New Delhi early in March, tested positive for COVID-19 in the central region on Friday. Twenty six of the patients were men — 17 belonged to Thanjavur, four to Tiruvarur, three to Tiruchi and two to Nagapattinam. The other patient was a woman from Thogamalai in Karur district.
For the first time, Thanajvur saw a sudden spike in positive cases in a single day on Friday. According to official sources, all those who tested positive on Friday were in home quarantine or were their contacts.
While the major chunk of today's positive cases of seven was reported at Adhiramapattinam, four reported positive at Kumbakonam, two each at Thiruvaiyaru and Vallam and one each at Chakkarapali and Thanjavur.
Out of these, 11 had travelled to the religious conference in New Delhi and the remaining were their contacts, sources said.
Meanwhile, four persons in Tiruvarur district — three from Valangaiman and one from Thiruthuraipoondi — tested positive and all of them were contacts of primary positive cases with a travel history to the New Delhi conference, sources added.
In Tiruchi, three men, aged 50, 58 and 60, tested positive for COVID-19 at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital on Friday. All three patients had travelled to New Delhi late in March to attend the conference.
Sources at the MGMGH said that the patients were initially kept under institutional quarantine in Jamal Mohammed College as they did not show any symptom. However, they were shifted to the isolation ward after developing symptoms of fever and difficulty in breathing on April 14, they said.
The total number of patients undergoing treatment at the GH is now 17. Around 15 patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Illness are also under observation.
Meanwhile, 682 primary contacts and 36 family members of those patients who tested positive were traced by the Department of Health, Revenue officials and the police in the district. Throat swabs and blood samples were lifted for all and 344 have returned negative while the test results of 331 were awaited. The remaining seven had tested positive and were among those undergoing treatment at the GH, said a release from the District Collectorate.
Of the 3916 people who had been home quarantined after travelling abroad or to other States, 3,911 have completed the 28-day quarantine period and can venture out if necessary. The district authorities have notified 20 containment zones, including 9 in the city.
Karur
A 35-year-old woman of Thogamalai tested positive for the novel corona virus in Karur on Friday. She is a family member of a patient who had previously tested positive for the virus. The Government Medical College Hospital here has 21 patients undergoing treatment, excluding patients who were brought from Namakkal and Dindigul districts, official sources said. One patient who had recovered was discharged on Friday morning.
Nagapattinam
Two patients, both hailing from Nagapattinam town tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, raising the district total to 40. Both were contacts of individuals who had travelled to New Delhi and had tested positive. Both patients are undergoing treatment at Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research in Puducherry.
Pudukottai
A 27-year-old woman hailing from Melmangalam in Pudukottai district has been admitted with fever and cold on Friday. She is the only patient at the isolation ward here. Her samples have been lifted and sent to the K.A.P. Viswanatham Government Medical College in Tiruchi for testing.
Ariyalur
A total of 137 individuals who had been home quarantined completed the 28-day-waiting period here on Friday. Including the patient who was discharged on Friday afternoon, a total of 38 patients had been discharged from the District Headquarters Hospital. Meanwhile, samples were lifted from eight patients and sent to the Tiruchi K.A.P. Viswanatham Government Medical College for testing.
Published - April 17, 2020 09:08 pm IST
