As many as 136 COVID-19 positive cases were reported in Salem on Saturday.
According to health officials, among the patients, 126 are indigenous, including 64 from Salem Corporation limits. Five persons have travelled from other districts like Chennai, Kanchipuram, and Namakkal and five have travelled from other States like Bihar, West Bengal and Karnataka.
A 38-year-old warden of Salem Central Prison tested positive for COVID-19 disease on Friday. Prison officials said the warden was posted for duty only in the outer premises of the prison, hence, there wasn’t any risk of disease spread among prison inmates. A constable with the Salem City Police tested positive and about 20 police personnel, who could have come in contact with the patient has been quarantined. The police station has been disinfected.
As many as 71 persons tested positive in Coimbatore. With this the total number of persons, who tested positive for the disease in the district touched 1,142.
A senior official of the Income Tax Department and three of his family members tested positive, said sources with the district administration. The official had come to Coimbatore with his family from New Delhi, a few days ago. The official also visited Madurai.
Sources said the official had symptoms of COVID-19 when he arrived here by flight. However, he attended a meeting which was attended by 15 to 20 IT officers in Coimbatore.
After the official tested positive for COVID-19, arrangements were made to collect swab samples of those who attended the meeting, the sources said.
New facility at CMCH
With the number of COVID-19 cases going in Coimbatore district, a new COVID-19 ward has been readied at the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH).
District Collector K. Rajamani inspected the 200-bedded facility on Saturday.
The facility at CMCH will be used when the bed strength at the Government Medical College and ESI Hospital gets fully utilised. ESI Hospital was declared COVID-19 nodal treatment centre so that CMCH could handle other cases. It has close to 400 beds for COVID-19 patients.
CMCH Dean P. Kalidas said that the COVID-19 centre was set up in a block that remains isolated close to the gate on Government Arts College Road. All the beds are equipped with oxygen line. The gate will be used for the entry and exit of COVID-19 patients, suspected patients and medical professionals handling them.
In the highest single-day spike, a total of 42 new cases were reported in Erode district while 75 persons were discharged from the hospital.
Health officials said that 31 cases were reported in corporation limits, seven in Kodumudi, two in Perundurai and one case each at Modakurichi and Gobichettipalayam.
Officials added that 20 cases were contact of positive cases, while 14 were unlinked, three were of inter-State travel, three were of contacts of inter-district travel and one case of frontline worker.
Currently, 188 persons are undergoing treatment at the Government Erode Medical College and Hospital while the district’s tally is at 369.
Fifteen positive cases were reported in Krishnagiri. Among the patients, seven were identified during ILI surveillance in the district and one patient has travelled from Bengaluru.
In Dharmapuri, 14 cases were reported. The patients include a sub-inspector, who was on check-post duty.
Namakkal district has reported 12 positive cases. Among them, six are undergoing treatment at the Namakkal Government Medical College Hospital and three at Thiruchengode Government Hospital.
A sub-inspector at Veerapandi police station in Tiruppur City Police limits has tested positive.
The test result was out on Friday, which confirmed that the 57-year-old sub-inspector was positive, a senior police officer said. He was asymptomatic and was admitted at Tiruppur Government Medical College Hospital. Following this, Veerapandi police station was closed.
Swab samples of over 50 police personnel who were working in the building were lifted. As part of the contact tracing process, samples of three persons who visited the station were also lifted.
All the police personnel have been asked to go on medical leave, he said. The police station will temporarily function out of the old South Taluk office located nearby.
The district saw six new cases, including the sub-inspector.