In yet another sharp increase, the central region recorded 160 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday. Among them, 46 were from Tiruvarur, 40 from Nagapattinam, 31 from Tiruchi, 19 from Pudukottai, 16 from Thanjavur, four from Ariyalur, three from Perambalur and one from Karur districts.
In Nagapattinam a one-year-old girl who was a contact of a positive patient, and a two-year-old boy who returned from Tiruchi were among the 40 patients to positive. Meanwhile, 12 persons who had returned from Chennai, five from Goa, two each from Madhya Pradesh and Thanjavur and one patient from Kerala also tested positive. The remaining patients were all local contacts of those who had tested positive earlier.
In Tiruchi, 31 people, including a Village Administrative Officer, and an assistant at the Tiruchi Collectorate, tested positive for the viral infection. Many of those who tested positive are primary contacts of those who previously tested positive for COVID-19. The patients hailed from areas such as Sandhu Kadai Street, Rettai Vaical, Vayalur Road, Lalgudi, Woraiyur, Manapparai, Venkatachalapuram, Thuvarankurichi, Varaganeri, Srirangam.
A senior doctor at the Tiruchi GH said that a reporter of a Tamil TV channel posted in Tiruchi also tested positive for the infection. “We do not know the source of his infection yet but contact tracing and testing will be done,” he said. The patient had been suffering from cold and cough.
Meanwhile, a total of 43 people, including 34 from Tiruchi three from Perambalur, one person from Madurai, two from Cuddalore, three from Ariyalur recovered from the infection and were discharged from the Tiruchi Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital.
In Thanjavur district, 16 new cases were reported on Saturday taking the total affected in the district so far to 396.
Tiruvarur district saw a spike in cases with 46 people testing positive on a single day. Meanwhile, eight persons were discharged after treatment on Saturday.
As a contact tracing exercise, persons who had availed the services of some of the drivers, who tested positive on Saturday, were also brought under screening by the health department and civic body officials in both Thanjavur and Tiruvarur districts, sources said.
At some places, the establishments such as eateries, tea shops, kiosks and others which were frequented by the infected persons earlier were directed to shut down their business for three days in order to test the employees for COVID-19 infection.
Nineteen patients tested positive in Pudukottai including a seven-year-old baby girl. Many of the patients had returned to Pudukottai from other districts. All have been admitted to the Ranee’s Government Hospital where they are undergoing treatment.
Perambalur district saw three patients test positive on Sunday. A 19-year-old man who had been tending to his 60-year-old infected grandfather has also tested positive. The second patient is a pregnant woman who underwent a COVID-19 test as a necessary procedure before undergoing routine tests during pregnancy. The third patient is a 70-year-old man who suffered from breathlessness and was referred to the Tiruchi GH. All three patients tested positive are undergoing treatment at the MGMGH in Tiruchi and are responding well to treatment, official sources said.
The sole patient who tested positive in Karur was a 67-year-old man. He is undergoing treatment at the Karur Government Medical College Hospital.
In Ariyalur, four patients- two men aged 48 and 18 and two women aged 25 and 40 tested positive for the viral infection. One patient travelled to the district from Maldives while the other three are primary contacts of those who tested positive in the district. All four were admitted to the Ariyalur District Headquarters Hospital for treatment.
As on Saturday, the district has a total of 458 COVID-19 cases f which 392 have been discharged. Of the active cases, 47 are admitted in Ariyalur, 14 are at the Tiruchi GH, three are admitted at the Thanjavur Medical College Hospital while one is admitted in Chennai.
A total of 171 new test samples have been lifted from those suffering from cold and fever symptoms and from contacts of positive patients and sent for testing.
