Foreign preachers come under official scanner

CHENNAI: While 48 new cases were reported across Tamil Nadu on Wednesday, a peculiar one reported from Edappadi garnered attention. There, a 23-year-old tested positive while three of her family members who attended the Delhi event were negative. Health officials say her father-in law and two brothers-in-law attended the Delhi event. They returned to Edappadi on March 23.

The trio showed no symptoms, but were isolated at a facility in Mettur. Rest of the family members were kept under home quarantine. Blood samples of all family members were tested. All but the woman were negative for COVID-19, including her husband who is a health inspector. Health officials think it could be because of the difference in immunity.  

Similarly, a 42-year-old Assistant Executive Engineer (AE) in Mettur thermal Power, who attended the Delhi event, hid the information and showed up to work as usual for an entire week -- March 24 to 30. Acting on a tip-off, he was identified and taken for testing and he turned out to be positive on April 5. Following this, officials sealed the second unit of the thermal plant and isolated 18 persons.

Foreigners booked
Three Bangladesh nationals were arrested in Chennai for staying at the Big Mosque in Periamet and continuing 'religious activities' despite the lockdown. Another 11 Bangladesh nationals, who attended the Delhi event, were produced before the Judicial Magistrate in Dindigul. They too had come to preach at local mosques. Though none of them have tested positive, the court ordered fresh tests at the government headquarters hospital.

Meanwhile in Madurai, eight Thai nationals were booked for allegedly violating tourist visa norms and engaging in religious preaching in several mosques in the district. The police also booked a Madurai resident and a Dindigul resident for acting as their guides and taking them to mosques.  
In the neighbouring Puducherry, three members of a family were booked for concealing their foreign travel history. A 39-year-old in the family returned from Saudi Arabia recently. However, when police inquired, his family members told them he was still in Bengaluru. Later, the neighbours informed the police about his return.

Vellore tense
The death of a 45-year-old man due to COVID-19 on Tuesday has triggered panic in Vellore city. The man, who died at the CMC, had no travel history. How he contracted the disease remains a mystery to health officials. His relatives allege that the hospital administration did not keep him in isolation or follow the treatment protocol since the time he was admitted on April 1.    

Sources in the municipal corporation say the hospital failed to notify the adminstration about the man, who was suffering from high fever and respiratory problems. Collector A Shanmuga Sundaram said an inquiry will be held on the allegations levelled by the relatives of the deceased. CMC Hospital authorities refused to comment. The man, sources say, used to run a snacks shop opposite the CMC hospital. Authorities have now initiated contact tracing. (With inputs from Salem, Dindigul, Madurai and Puducherry)