The COVID-19 positivity rate – the number of samples that test positive among the total figure – continues to remain below the State average.
An analysis of the weekly positive cases recorded between September 28 and October 4 in the State reveals that the positivity rate of district stood at 4.5% as against the State average of 6.5%. It was 10% in Chennai, 9.2% in Coimbatore and 9% in Chengalpattu.
Out of 13,240 persons, who were subjected for COVID-19 test in Tiruchi district during the week, 590 patients tested positive for the virus, working out to a positivity rate of 4.5%. A total of 6,01,685 swab tests were lifted and subjected to laboratory analysis in the State during the week. Of them, 38,969 patients tested positive. The positivity rate was 6.5%.
On an average, 2,000 samples are tested in Tiruchi district. The highest positivity rate during the week was recorded on October 1 with 5.1%. On other days, it was below 5%.
“Intensive fever camps, screening of targeted people, constant monitoring of primary and secondary contacts of affected persons have helped keep the spread of the infection under check,” said Collector S. Sivarasu.
He said the authorities had acted swiftly in preventing the large congregations of people in the initial stages of the spread of the virus. It was with the aim of checking the spread of the virus that the Gandhi Market was temporarily closed and its operations were decentralised by opening temporary markets in different places in the city.
In central districts, Pudukottai and Perambalur too recorded 4.5% positivity rate along with Tiruchi. It was 5.8% in Tiruvarur and Karur districts. The positivity rate was slightly higher in Nagapattinam and Ariyalur districts with 5.9% and 6.2% respectively.
Among the central districts, Thanjavur is the only district that has recorded positivity rate more than the State average. It stood at 8..6%, just 1.4% less than that of Chennai.