Active cases soar to 4,269 as 579 test +ve for virus

Coimbatore: The district recorded 579 new cases of Covid-19 on Wednesday, taking the count to 16,662. While 217 patients were discharged in the day, the number of active Covid-19 cases in the district zoomed past the 4,000-mark for the first time. Presently, there are 4,269 active cases.
According to a health department source, 44 people, 13 of them women, from a textile mill near Navakkarai were tested positive for the virus in the day. The cases were, however, not included in the state bulletin.
With the number of active cases increasing, officials are racing against time to add 3,000 beds to Covid care centres. The facility at Madhampalayam would also get a few hundred beds. An official said, “We are now bracing for nearly 800 new cases a day. If the number of active cases goes beyond 6,000, we will advise all asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients to remain in home isolation.”
Dr G Ramesh Kumar, deputy director of public health, said the number of samples being tested has been increased to 5,800 a day.
The toll, meanwhile, rose to 315 in the day, with the state including five Covid-19 deaths that occurred in the district on Tuesday in the bulletin. All the deceased were senior citizens.
The new cases were spread across Vadavalli, P N Pudur, Thillai Nagar, RS Puram, Gandhipuram, Peelamedu, Race Course, Selvapuram, Ashok Nagar and Telungupalayam in the city limits.
In rural areas, new cases were reported from Perur-Chettipalayam stretch, including Siruvani Main Road, and Mettupalayam, among other areas.
At least 12,078 patients have recovered from Covid-19 in the district so far. The recovery rate now stands at 72.4%.