MADURAI
Five of the 10 southern districts, which had reported only four COVID-19 positive cases on Sunday, recorded 23 new cases on Monday.
Dindigul reported 10 fresh cases, Tenkasi nine cases, Virudhunagar two cases and Madurai and Ramanathapuram one case each.
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Health officials in Dindigul said all the 10 positive cases were vegetable vendors or those employed in Koyambedu wholesale vegetable market in Chennai. They belonged to Chitarevu Ottupatti, Sevugampatti, Sirumalai Pazhayur and Chettiapatti. They were admitted to Government Karur Medical College Hospital.
In Tenkasi district, fresh cases were again reported from Puliyankudi. Already, a little over 90% of the total patients (49) in the district were from the same area and they belonged to one family.
In Ramanathapuram, a newly recruited woman police constable, from Appanoor near Mudukalathur, has contracted COVID-19 virus. She had been to Kamudi police recruitment school two days ago along with 17 other selected women personnel. Her native village has been cordoned off. All the 17 other women constables have been kept in isolation.
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After reporting no positive cases in the last nine days, Virudhunagar district registered two fresh positive cases on Monday. A man and a woman in Malaipatti village near Aruppukottai tested positive.
“During contact tracking of positive cases, we got information that some persons who had tested positive in Ramanathapuram district had travelled to this village to attend a funeral some 10 days back,” Virudhunagar Collector R. Kannan said.
Among the villagers whose samples were tested, these two turned positive, he said.
In Madurai district, a 35-year-old man from Palaiyur village in Sedapatti block tested positive. Collector T.G. Vinay said the patient had been living in Chennai for almost eight years and had arrived here on May 2.
The patient did not display any symptoms or have any comorbidities.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people took to streets as the district administration relaxed restrictions. Police checking at various areas, except containment zones, was lenient.
P. Swarnalatha, a resident of Anna Nagar, said several hundred people went for walk in her area around 5 p.m. “It’s hard to keep cooped up for a long time. However, everyone must understand that it is important to protect oneself from the virus and not step outside even if it is frustrating,” she said.