Collector Sandeep Nanduri on Monday said there was no community transmission of the virus in the district.
The assertion came despite the death of a 72-year-old old woman who contracted the infection while visiting a grocery shop near her home.
During an informal chat with reporters after garlanding the statue of B.R. Ambedkar on his birth anniversary, Mr. Sandeep said the district had not reached the third stage of the viral infection — community transmission — as all possible efforts were being taken to enforce lockdown to ensure physical distancing and disinfection in areas where positive patients resided.
Tracing of people who had close contacts with infected persons was being pursued actively and the samples collected from them had been sent for analysis.
“We are sending 150 samples a day to Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital. Since work on establishing a testing lab in Thoothukudi Government Medical College Hospital has been completed, it will start functioning once the Indian Council Medical Research gives its nod,” Mr. Sandeep said.