Swab samples of 30 primary contacts of TJ delegates taken

TNN | Apr 9, 2020, 04:15 IST

Udhagamandalam: Health officials on Wednesday collected samples of throat swabs and blood from 30 primary contacts, mostly family members, of the eight attendees of Tabligi Jamaat congregation in New Delhi.
While four of the attendees have tested positive for COVID-19, the remaining tested negative. The four positive cases are being treated at ESI Hospital in Coimbatore while the other four are being monitored at the isolation ward of Ooty government hospital.
“A team of health officials lifted samples from all the 30 primary contacts. The samples will be sent to Coimbatore Medical College Hospital lab for Covid-19 test,” collector J Innocent Divya said.
The attendees returned to their homes in the district on March 24. They were with their families for at least two days till they were home quarantined by the officials on March 27. On March 31, the eight people were shifted to the isolation ward in Ooty government hospital.
While the three attendees of the religious congregation are from Coonoor and Kotagiri each, two are from Ooty town. The localities where their families live are sealed as per containment plan.
Meanwhile, the Nilgiris district is expecting the imported rapid test kits in a day or two for conducting tests at the three containment areas.
“The government has instructed to conduct sample tests in the containment areas too. The exercise of sample tests for COVID-19 in those areas will commence on Friday using the rapid test kits,” Divya said.
As many as 435 people with travel history are under home quarantine in the district.