Districts in the western region reported 16 deaths due to COVID-19 and 506 fresh positive cases on Thursday.

Coimbatore had the highest tally with seven deaths and 190 new positive cases, taking the total number of deaths in the district so far to 96 and the positive cases to 5,997. The youngest among the deceased was aged 39 and the oldest 82.

Four patients died in Salem district. They were: a 53-year-old woman from Krishnagiri who was undergoing treatment at Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital, a 58-year-old man from Attur, a 39-year-old woman from Krishnagiri who was undergoing treatment at Salem GH, and a 69-year-old patient from Tirupattur who was undergoing treatment at a private hospital.

Three persons died in Erode -- two women aged 69 and 70, and a man aged 75. The total number of deaths reported in the district is 13.

Tiruppur district reported two deaths. District Collector K. Vijayakarthikeyan tweeted that a 62-year-old man from Anaimedu in Tiruppur Corporation limits died at a private hospital at Coimbatore. A 24-year-old woman from Rakkiyapalayam in Tiruppur Corporation limits died at the Tiruppur Government Medical College Hospital. Tiruppur district has recorded 18 COVID-19 deaths so far.

In Coimbatore, majority of the fresh positive cases were reported from the Coimbatore Corporation areas and the others from Mettupalayam municipal limits, Anamalai, Periyanaickenpalayam, Madukarai, S.S. Kulam, Karamadai and Kinathukadavu blocks.

After inaugurating a 16 slice CT scan machine at Government Medical College and ESI Hospital on Thursday, Minister for Municipal Administration and Rural Development S.P. Velumani checked the quality of food given to COVID-19 patients in the hospital.

Dean of the hosptial A. Nirmala said a CT scan machine in the outpatient section was being used to obtain images of the lungs of all COVID-19 patients, except children and pregnant women, before admitting them to the hospital.

The Dean said 2,586 patients were scanned so far, and 20 % to 30 % of them had lung involvement. And, 60 % of the 20%-30 % had 75 % of lung involvement.

On Thursday, 178 persons were discharged from various hospitals in the district, including 46 from the ESI Hospital. Two COVID-19 patients gave birth to babies at the hospital on Thursday.

Salem district reported 161 positive cases. Health officials said 159 of these were indigenous, including 95 in the Salem Corporation limits. Two patients had come from Karur and Erode districts.

Namakkal had 30 new cases. Health officials said two patients had returned from Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and three had travelled to Tiruchi, Erode and Salem districts.

In Erode, 62 positive cases were reported, taking the district’s tally to 888. Forty-four of these cases were reported in Erode Corporation limits. While 26 cases were contacts of positive cases, 29 had no contact history. Five cases were persons who undertook inter-district travel and two who came from other States. A total of 26 persons were discharged from the hospital on Thursday while 239 persons are under treatment.

Thirty-seven new positive cases in Tiruppur raised the district’s tally so far to 1,059. The new cases included two girls aged three and seven from Udumalpet and Pitchampalayam in Tiruppur Corporation limits. Cases were reported from Tiruppur, Pongalur, Madathukulam, Dharapuram, Palladam and Kangeyam Blocks also.

A total of 712 people have recovered and the number of active cases on Thursday was 329. Thirty-seven patients were discharged on Thursday.

In the Nilgiris, 22 new positive cases were reported. The district administration said 919 people had tested positive in the district so far and 756 had recovered.

While Krishnagiri district did not report any positive cases, Dharmpuri reported four.