For the first time in 41 days, less than 100 fresh COVID-19 cases were recorded in Madurai district on Tuesday. With 40 patients testing positive, the tally rose to 11,487.
District Monitoring Officer B. Chandramohan said the positivity rate had dropped from 19% to 7% since mid-July due to efforts made by frontline workers, doctors and administrators from the district and civic body such as active fever surveillance, establishment of several static and mobile fever clinics across the district, aggressive contact tracing, raising awareness and early diagnosis.
He added that the intensified lockdown in the district helped in increasing the health infrastructure and contribution of private sector expanded with time as well. From a maximum of 464 in a single day, the district recorded 40 cases.
A total of 147 patients were discharged from various COVID-19 treatment facilities on Tuesday. The total number of discharged patients stood at 8,984.
With four persons succumbing to the disease, the death toll rose to 261. There were 2,242 active cases as on date.
Virudhunagar reported another spike in fresh cases, with 424 people testing positive taking the district’s tally 9,269. However, 447 patients were discharged. The district, which recorded three deaths on Tuesday (toll is 109), now has 2,377 active cases.
Meanwhile, a textile mill in Srivilliputtur was closed after 43 workers tested positive. An official said tests were conducted on 106 workers on Saturday and Sunday, and the results were announced on Tuesday. All the affected employees were asymptomatic and the mill had been closed for disinfection for three days, he added.
Theni recorded 292 fresh cases, which took its tally to 6,261. The district also marked 175 discharges.
Dindigul had 65 new cases, with which its tally went up to 3,131. The number of people discharged was 100.
Ramanathapuram reported 49 fresh cases, which pushed its tally to 3,449. There were 85 discharges from hospitals.
Sivaganga recorded a high number of fresh cases – 143 – which took its tally to 2,677. The number of persons discharged was 51.
Thoothukudi added 189 new cases, which took the number of active cases to 1,977. A total of 349 patients were discharged from hospitals.
Tirunelveli registered 155 fresh cases, which took the district’s tally to 5,797. As many as 149 people were discharged in the district, which now has 2,298 active cases.
In Kanniyakumari, 128 new cases were recorded. The district has 2,002 active cases. The district marked 192 discharges and nine deaths on Tuesday.
Tenkasi’s case count rose to 2,443 with the addition of 45 cases. After 386 cases were discharged from the hospitals, the district, which witnessed four deaths, has 785 patients.
Youth ends life
A youth in a ‘COVID Care Centre’ in Puliyangudi allegedly committed suicide on Monday night. Police said A. Muthukumar, 27, a graduate from Veerasigamani near Sernthamaram, had been kept in the ‘COVID Care Centre’ in a private engineering college. As he responded to treatment, Muthukumar was about to be discharged on Tuesday. However, he reportedly committed suicide in the room where he was staying along with two others on Monday night.
A 47-year-old labourer from Aavudaiyarpuram near Thiruvenkatam had hanged himself in a ‘COVID Care Centre’ in a private polytechnic at Vasudevanallur on July 24.
Those in distress or having suicidal tendencies could seek help and counselling by calling State’s health helpline 104 or Chennai-based Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050.
