The central region is witnessing a steady rise in COVID-19 positive cases over the past few days with 57 persons testing positive on Thursday.
Most of the patients, who tested positive for the virus, had returned to their natives from Chennai. Thursday’s count was among the sharpest spikes for a single day in the region in recent days.
Out of the 57 cases, the maximum number of cases were reported in Nagapattinam and Tiruvarur districts. The two districts accounted for 16 cases each. Ten persons tested positive in Tiruchi, eight in Thanjavur, three in Ariyalur and two each in Pudukottai and Perambalur. Karur recorded no fresh cases on Thursday.
According to sources in Nagapattinam district, one of the patients was an Iraq returnee. Upon arrival in Tiruchi International Airport, his swab sample was collected and sent for laboratory analysis. Fourteen patients had returned from Chennai. Another person hailed from Vedaranyam and had contracted the virus from a person, who was diagnosed positive a few days ago.
The cases were spread across Nagapattinam district. Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Sembanarkoil and Vedaranyam reported 2 cases each. All 16 of them were asymptomatic patients and are under treatment at the Government Hospitals at Mayiladuthurai and Nagapattinam.
Since May 20, 54 persons had tested positive for the virus in Nagapattinam district. Of them, 44 were Chennai returnees.
“There is a sudden increase in arrival of people from Chennai. Since cases are on the rise in Chennai, the people tend to return to their natives. We have made arrangements to screen all of them,” a senior official in Nagapattinam told The Hindu.
In Tiruchi, 10 patients were found to have contracted the virus on Thursday. One case each was reported from Mettutheru in Woraiyur, Allithurai, Neithalur Colony, Thennur and Puthur Agraharam. Four persons tested positive for the virus upon arrival from Middle East countries. Of them, 2 were from Villurpuram and one each from Thanjavur and Pudukottai.
Eight patients, who were treated for COVID-19 at the K.A.P. Viswanatham Medical College Hospital, were discharged on Thursday, said Tiruchi Collector S. Sivarasu. Of them, four were from Tiruchi district and two each from Ariyalur and Chennai.
In Ariyalur, out of three new patients who tested positive, two had contracted the virus from a woman belonged to Koovagam. Another patient was a Chennai returnee. While two of them had been admitted to the Government Medical College Hospital in Ariyalur, one was under treatment in Thanjavur Medical College Hospital.
Both patients, who were diagnosed for the virus, belonged to Alangudi. They had returned from Chennai. They were under treatment at the Ranee Government Hospital in Pudukottai.
All the 16 persons who tested positive in Tiruvarur district had come from other districts and States, taking the total number of active cases in the district to 52. All the patients were undergoing treatment at the Tiruvarur Government Medical College hospital as on Thursday.
Eight patients were admitted to the Thanjavur Medical College Hospital after testing positive on Thursday and seven persons were discharged after treatment.