Tiruchi
With the number of COVID-19 cases surging in the central region over the past few days, Tiruchi city has accounted for 70 % of the cases in Tiruchi district. Nagapattinam district topped among the central districts in positivity rate.
Over 1,200 patients tested positive for the virus during the last seven days in Tiruchi district. On an average, 180 patients are diagnosed with the virus daily in the Tiruchi district.
According to sources, rural areas of Tiruchi continued to record fewer cases than Tiruchi urban. While the rate of fresh cases accounts for about 30 % in rural areas, it is 70 % in Tiruchi Corporation limit.
“As far as cases in rural areas are concerned, fresh cases are fewer than Tiruchi city. The cases are spread in 14 panchayat unions. Since the affected people are in villages, we are able to identify them as well as their contacts quickly,” says S. Ram Ganesh, Deputy Director of Health Services, Tiruchi.
In terms of positivity rate, Nagapattinam remains on top among the eight central districts. It was 9.9 % on Wednesday, next only to Chennai. The positivity rate was 5.5% in Tiruchi district.
As per the current trend, out of about 1,000 samples, close to 100 samples turn out to be positive for the virus in Nagapattinam district daily.
“Higher positivity rate means that we are able to test many asymptomatic patients and those with mild symptom. It will ultimately enable us to bring them into the direct observation of health workers,” says A. Liakath Ali, District Epidemiologist.
He said the patients, who tested positive, had been admitted to the hospitals in Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai. A section of them had been taking treatment in private hospitals in Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur and Thanjavur. But for the testing, they would have been in their homes as usual and spreading the virus unknowingly to their relatives, friends and neighbours. Their hospitalisation would ultimately curtail the spread of the virus.
Mr. Ali said that though the available beds in Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai were sufficient to meet the current requirement, it had been decided to identify hostels and lodges in Nagapattinam, Vedaranyam and other towns to convert them as COVID care centres to meet the requirement, if any.
