RG Pudur cluster reports 7 of 14 new cases

Coimbatore: The RG Pudur cluster on Friday reported seven of the 14 new Covid-19 cases in the district, prompting health department officials to take strict measures to restrict the public movement in the area. The cluster has a total of 31 cases now.
While sources said another 14 people - including four from RG Pudur, two from Raja Street and one from Kavundampalayam – were also tested positive, the cases were not officially declared on Friday.
A senior health officer said the RG Pudur cluster was growing daily. The number of cases is expected to go up further, he said. “Of the 220-odd samples that were collected on Wednesday, some results are yet to arrive. Also, four people’s results have not been declared as they were found to be on borderline. They have been shifted to the ESI Hospital.”
The new cases were reported from Chinniampalayam area in the cluster. The health department has asked the city corporation and Sulur block development office to restrict people’s movement in the Chinniampalayam area.
Pointing out that 670 samples have already been collected from the cluster, the official said contact tracing and sample collection drive would continue. “Door-to-door survey is going on in Chinniampalayam rural area in Sulur block and RG Pudur in corporation area.”
The officer said they have extended the sampling to Mylampatti, which is part of the new cluster, and another factory in Chinniampalayam, from where two people have tested positive. “So, we are expected to see more positive cases.”
Among the new cases are a 28-year-old man from Chokkampudur, who is the brother of a Mumbai returnee who tested positive earlier, a 50-year-old woman and an 8-year-old man from Karamadai, and a 70-year-old woman from Sirumugai. The last three are also contacts of some earlier positive cases.
A 45-year-old man from Raja Street is also among the new cases and he was tested for the novel coronavirus when he approached a private hospital for some other procedure. His source of infection is yet to be traced.
There is also an imported case - a 28-year-old woman from Theethipalayam who returned from Chennai. Her samples were collected at the district check post.
However, patients are recovering fast. ESI Hospital discharged another 11 patients, one of them a pregnant woman and another a cervical cancer patient, on Friday.