The central districts on Thursday recorded a drop in COVID-19 cases with 559 patients testing positive for the viral infection. However, Thanjavur continued to record over 200 cases. Nine deaths-- five in Thanjavur, three in Tiruvarur and one in Ariyalur -- were also recorded in the region according to the Health Department bulletin.
In Thanjavur, men aged 81, 49, 4, 72 and a woman aged 79 suffering from hypothyroidism succumbed to COVID-19. In Tiruvarur, a 71-year-old man suffering from chronic kidney disease, hypertension and diabetes, and an 80-year-old man with a history of hypertension died of the viral infection. One 37-year-old man from Ariyalur also succumbed to COVID-19 with no pre-existing health conditions.
As many as 239 patients tested positive in Thanjavur, as the district continued to record the highest number of COVID cases in the region in recent days. Among them was the Revenue Divisional Officer, Thanjavur, two employees of a nationalised bank, an Anganwadi worker in Ammapettai, a reporter of a Tamil news channel, two staff nurses at a private hospital, and 16 workers of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
All other districts in the region recorded a drop in COVID-19 cases. A total of 84 patients tested positive in Tiruchi, among which many were primary contacts and patients with a history of respiratory illnesses. Meanwhile, a total of 36 patients, of which 24 were undergoing treatment at the Tiruchi Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital, and 12, at the COVID Care Centre in Khajamalai were discharged after recovering from the viral infection.
Pudukottai and Tiruvarur recorded 68 and 51 fresh cases for COVID-19 among which were local index cases with no history of travel or contacts of patients who tested positive. Primary contacts and patients with a history of respiratory illnesses were also among the patient who reported positive in both districts.
In Karur, 47 fresh cases were recorded, among which were residents of Tharagampatti, Thanthonrimalai and Vennamallai. Travellers from Karur and Namakkal also tested positive.
Nagapattinam recorded 41 new COVID-19 cases, among them were inter-district travellers and primary contacts and patients with a history of Influenza-Like Illnesses. A traveller from Thanjavur, and two healthcare workers from the Nagapattinam District Headquarters Hospital also tested positive.
A total of 20 patients tested positive in Ariyalur, of which two hailed from Ariyalur, three from Thirumanur, two from Sendhurai, one from T. Palur, two from Andimadam and five from Jayankondam blocks in the district. The addition of 20 patients led the district to cross the 4,000-mark with a total of 4,007 patients testing positive for the viral infection so far.
Meanwhile, in Perambalur, nine patients tested positive. Of the nine patients, three hailed from the Perambalur block, two each from Veppanthattai, Veppur and Alathur blocks.
