Four persons, including three of a family tested positive for COVID-19 in the city, taking the total active positive cases in Coimbatore to nine.
According to sources, a 31-year-old pregnant woman from Karumbukkadai tested positive. The Coimbatore Corporation health wing officials with support from the district administration, took her to the Government Medical College and ESI Hospital, the designated hospital in the district to treat COVID-19 patients.
The woman had no travel history in the last 14 days and was not quarantined, the sources added.
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The three of a family who tested positive were from Velandipalayam and those who tested positive included the head of the family, a 62-year-old man, his wife, 43-year-old, and 10-year-old son. The man’s nine-year-old daughter had, however, tested negative. The sources said the man, who was unwilling to share his travel history, had sneaked out of the district sometime in the last 15 days to Ponnani in Malappuram district, Kerala, to bring home his wife and children.
Though he claimed to the Corporation health officials that he had brought them home in the end of March, they had serious reservations about his statement. He had travelled only in the last 15 days.
On Friday last, he attempted to travel to Kerala again to drop his wife and children but was stopped at the Walayar check-post as he did not have e-pass. When he approached the district administration for e-pass he was asked to undergo medical test for COVID-19 status and that was when he came under the official radar, the sources said.
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As soon as the result of his status was out, the Corporation officials took him to the hospital but not before he showed reluctance to go the hospital.
On Sunday, the Corporation health team visited the man’s neighbourhood to collect over 100 samples. Another Corporation team lifted 100 samples from the neighbourhood of a man from Kavundampalayam, who was tested and reported positive in Chennai.
A sanitary team sprayed disinfectant in the area. On Monday, the health team would continue door-to-door fever surveillance and keep a tight vigil in the area.
The Corporation sources also said that there was no need to declare Karumbukkadai and Velandipalayam as containment zones as they were already under the containment plan.
The other current positive cases are in Kuniamuthur (two), Ukkadam (one), Kavundampalayam (one) and Vellakinar (one).
Staff Reporter adds: Meanwhile, Coimbatore district, which is now an orange zone with regard to COVID-19, has adopted measures to further combat the spread of the disease.
As a precautionary measure, district administration and the Health Department will impose restrictions on people coming from other districts and other States to Coimbatore. Such persons will have to remain in home quarantine for 14 days.
If such persons have fever or symptoms of COVID-19, they will be shifted to isolation facilities. Swab samples will be collected from them for COVID-19 test. Those tested negative will be advised to remain in home quarantine for 14 days.
Apart from these measures, all the containment strategies that were being followed during the lockdown will be continued, said an official from the Health Department.