With four COVID-19 patients recovering and getting discharged from the Government Erode Medical College and Hospital in Perundurai on Tuesday evening, the active number of cases in the district is now zero and the district is expected to be moved from red zone to orange zone.
Officials of the Public Health and Preventive Medicine said that a total of 70 cases, including 50 men and 20 women and children, were reported in the district so far comprising Thailand nationals (2 persons), Erode Corporation (53), Sathyamangalam (3), Nambiyur, Gobichettipalayam and Perundurai (2 each), Bhavani (1) and Railway Doctor Family (4) and a Dubai traveller.
A total of 3,250 swabs were tested that confirmed 70 positive cases of which one person died while 69 others recovered. A total of 33,330 families comprising 1,66,806 persons in 17 containment zones were under home quarantine during the second week of April that was reduced significantly after no positive cases were reported in the past two weeks, they added.
Minister for School Education K.A. Sengottaiyan, Minister for Environment K.C. Karuppannan, District Collector C. Kathiravan in the presence of Corporation Commissioner M. Elangovan and Superintendent of Police S. Sakthi Ganesan and MLAs presented fruits to the four discharged patients who were sent to their homes in ambulances.
Mr. Sengottaiyan told media persons on the hospital premises that initially more cases were reported in the district, next only to Chennai. “Due to coordinated efforts of various departments led by collector, today there are no active cases in the district”, he added. He said that no positive cases were reported in the district in the past 14 days and the district will move from red zone to orange zone. Corporation Commissioner M. Elangovan told The Hindu that early detection and isolation of persons with symptoms at the ward, strict implementation of home quarantine in containment areas, regular medical camps to check for fever in all the areas helped to prevent spread of the virus in the city. “Nutrient-rich food at the hospital helped the patients to recover faster”, he added. Mr. Elangovan said that quick decision-making by the district administration, corporation, police, revenue and the health department helped to fight the virus in the district and lauded the efforts from conservancy workers to front line staff.