Tirunelveli slips back to red as 10 more test positive

Kanniyakumari district receives more ‘outsiders’

After Saturday’s tally of positive patients touched 80, Tirunelveli district had 10 more persons testing positive on Sunday, thus taking the total number to 90.

So far, 62 patients have been successfully treated and discharged.

Officials said that on Saturday, the number raised from 72 to 80 after eight persons from Valliyoor Sithur and Nadukaatur tested positive to the virus. On Sunday, 10 fresh cases were reported including nine from Melapalayam. Special Monitoring Officer Karunakaran, when contacted, said the nine cases from Melapalayam belonged to one family.

The officials cordoned off the areas and identified them as containment zones. According to a Health Department official, when the number of active cases remained at 20 or above, the district would be identified as red zone. While the civic authorities were taking steps to break/distance the virus chain, the district administration focused on the reopening of shops in the district from tomorrow, the police intensified booking cases against violators of the curfew.

In neighbouring Kanniyakumari district, initially, 16 persons tested positive and the figures rose up to 25 on Saturday. According to officials, on an average, 150 to 200 persons from other districts and States arrived here to their native place. The district administration has established a health check post, being done jointly by the police and revenue officials. In the last five days alone, close to 1000 people from different parts of TN and other neighbouring states including from Thiruvananthapuram arrived here, an official said.

Only after ascertaining the nativity, the returnees are subjected to screening. The persons have been requested to remain in quarantine until the results were known. In the event of symptoms, they were told to remain in isolation at their dwellings and only in the event of testing positive, they were sent to the Government Medical College Hospital for treatment, the officials added.

Two days ago, a person belonging to Marthandam, arrived here from Thanjavur. After he confirmed positive to COVID-19, the dwelling, situated on the TN-Kerala border was cordoned off. At least 327 houses were cordoned off. Residents were requested to cooperate with the officials by staying indoors. The officials shared some of the WhatsApp numbers through which the residents in containment zones could approach for assistance. They assured to get the essential goods delivered on time, especially, drugs for the patients at homes.

Meanwhile, former Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan, who visited the area, inquired with the people on Sunday. Many of the residents wanted to withdraw money from ATM. Immediately, the former minister contacted the District Collector Prashant M Wadnere, who arranged to send a mobile ATM vending machine to the location. He also appealed to the residents to cooperate with the official machinery and overcome the COVID-19 pandemic.