The central region saw a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases with 416 new ones recorded on Saturday.
Thanjavur district saw a single-day high with 181 patients testing positive, while recording three deaths. The region saw three other deaths, one each in Tiruchi, Karur and Pudukottai.
In Thanjavur, a 48-year-old man, who had with benign tumour and was recently operated upon, died at Thanjavur Medical College Hospital of respiratory failure after testing positive. Two more men, aged 72 and 60, who tested positive, also died at TMCH with co-morbidities of diabetes and hypertension.
A 68-year-old man died at Tiruchi Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital, while a 55-year-old man died at Karur Government Medical College Hospital. A 69-year-old man also died at Pudukottai Government Medical College Hospital. All patients tested positive and had known cases of diabetes and hypertension.
Of the 181 positive cases reported in Thanjavur on Saturday, at least 170 patients were traders or immediate contacts of traders from the vegetable market in Kumbakonam. “All have been admitted to TMCH. All patients from the cluster are stable,” a health official here said.
In Tiruchi, among the 124 patients who tested positive, many were from K. Abishekapuram zone and Srirangam zone. Patients also tested positive from Manapparai and Manachanallur districts. “The numbers are high as we have employed aggressive testing strategies. The cases will begin to decline within the next few weeks,” a senior official in Tiruchi said.
Meanwhile, 63 patients, including 40 from Tiruchi GH and 23 from the COVID Care Centre, were discharged on Saturday. They asked to home quarantine for a period of 14 days.
In Pudukottai district, 34 patients tested positive for the virus on Saturday. They were admitted to Ranee’s Government Hospital.
Twenty-eight patients also tested positive in Tiruvarur.
Among the 22 patients to test positive in Nagapattinam were three police personnel, one official of the revenue department and a media person. A staff nurse working at a private hospital in Tiruchi also tested positive. While the nurse was undergoing treatment in Tiruchi, 14 were admitted at Government Medical College Hospital, Tiruvarur, five to Nagai District Headquarters Hospital and one to a private hospital in Thanjavur.
Thirteen patients tested positive in Karur. Among them was a seven-year-old boy and four women. All were admitted to Karur Government Medical Hospital for treatment.
Of the 10 patients to test positive in Ariyalur, five were local contacts of those who tested positive earlier. Among other patients, one each had returned from Chennai and Salem, while three returned from Cuddalore.
Nine patients were admitted to Perambalur District Headquarters Hospital, while one was admitted at a private hospital in Coimbatore and another at a hospital in Kumbakonam.
Four patients, two men and two women, tested positive in Perambalur. Three were primary contacts of a woman who tested positive. The fourth patient was an inter-district traveller with influenza-like illnesses.
