Tamil Nadu reported three more positive cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on Monday, taking the total number of patients to 12. However, one of three persons — a 54-year-old resident of Anna Nagar in Madurai — has no history of travel to an affected country or other States, according to Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar
The man, who is admitted to the isolation ward of Government Rajaji Hospital, Madurai, has co-morbidities including cardiac disease, uncontrolled diabetes and hypertension, he said. “While two patients have history of travel to an affected country, patient 12 (as the department refers to him), the 54-year-old man, has no history of travel. Co-morbidity is a risk. We will now examine if he had any contact with travellers from affected countries or affected State,” he told reporters.
The two other patients who tested positive are — a 25-year-old man from Purasawalkam in Chennai who had returned from London and is in the isolation ward of Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital and a 48-year-old man from Tiruppur who had returned from London and is in the isolation ward of ESI Hospital, Coimbatore.
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Quarantine is an order
The Minister said that 12,519 persons — who had travelled from affected countries and States — were under home quarantine in the State. “As per the Chief Minister’s order, we are posting home quarantine stickers on their houses. This is because many of them were ignoring the home quarantine instructions, and we had received information that they were moving outside. Home quarantine is not a request, it is an order from the government. They have to obey it,” he stated. Such persons should stay at home to prevent community spread of COVID-19. The CM has announced promulgation of prohibitive orders under Section 144 of CrPC to prevent community spread, he said. The Collectors, Superintendents of Police, public health and revenue officials were involved in putting up the stickers, he added.
On reports that an armed reserve policeman was admitted for COVID-19, he said, “He was admitted for fever in Virudhunagar. As he had symptoms, he was referred to GRH, Madurai. We are lifting samples for testing.”
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The number of patients admitted to isolation wards in government medical college hospitals across the State increased from 54 to 89.
The number of persons placed under home quarantine also soared from 9,424 to 12,519 — Chennai alone accounting for 3,600 persons followed by 1,044 persons in Kanniyakumari, according to details in the bulletin issued by the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine on Monday.
Of the 89 persons admitted, 18 were in Salem Medical College, 10 each in Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital and Thanjavur Medical College and eight each in IRT, Perundurai, Erode, Government Kilpauk Medical College, medical colleges in Tiruchi and Coimbatore. Currently, 21 asymptomatic passengers from highly-affected countries are being quarantined in facilities near airport.
As for samples lifted for testing, the number increased by 109; the largest increase till now. Of the total 552 samples lifted for testing, 37 samples are under process. On Monday, Indian Council of Medical Research permitted two private laboratories in the State — Department of Clinical Virology, Christian Medical College, Vellore and Department of Laboratory Services, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited, Chennai — to test samples.
The Health department, in its daily bulletin on COVID-19, provided travel details of all nine patients, who had tested positive for COVID-19 in the State.
*A 64-year-old woman from Chennai, who is admitted at Government Stanley Medical College Hospital, travelled from USA via Singapore to Chennai airport. A total of one primary contact has been traced.
*A 43-year-old man from Tirunelveli, who is admitted to the Government Medical College at Tirunelveli, travelled from Dubai to Madurai airport. Two of his primary contacts have been traced.
*A 25-year-old woman from Coimbatore, who is undergoing treatment at Coimbatore Medical College Hospital, travelled from Spain-Delhi-Bangalore-Coimbatore. Fourteen of her primary contacts have been traced.
*Two Thailand nationals - a 69-year-old man and 75-year-old man - who are admitted to IRT Perundurai - travelled from Phuket to New Delhi to Erode railway station. A total of 13 primary contacts were traced.
*A 65-year-old man from Chennai, who is undergoing treatment in a private hospital, travelled from New Zealand to Singapore to Chennai airport. The department has traced 20 primary contacts.
*A 21-year-old student from Chennai had travelled from Ireland to Chennai.
*A 25-year-old man travelled from Delhi to Chennai MGR Central Railway Station.
*A 45-year-old man from Kancheepuram had travelled from Oman to Chennai airport.