One more COVID-19 death in TN: 77 test positive

A 70-year-old woman died of coronavirus in Tamil Nadu on Friday, taking the toll in the state so far to nine, while 77 people tested positive, pushing the total to 911, Chief Secretary K Shanmugam said.

The woman died in Tuticorin, he said.

The Chief Secretary said all the 77 people who tested positive were primary contacts and from various containment areas in the state.

"The new cases have been reported in those places which have been marked as containment or quarantine areas", he told reporters, adding that the government was strengthening its efforts to contain the virus.

Asked whether the lock down would be extended in the State, he said the Chief Minister was holding meetings with various experts and a video conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to be held on Saturday.

"After that he may take a good decision", he said.

Of the total number of positive cases, Chennai topped the list with 172, followed by districts of Coimbatore 86, Erode 60, Tirunelveli-56, Dindigul 54, Namakkal 41, Chengalput and Theni 40 each, Trichy and Ranipet 36 and Nagpattinam 12, he said.

Shanmugam said 44 people have been discharged.

Health Secretary Beela Rajesh was also present.

The CS said the government was taking a number of stesps to prevent further spread of the virus in the state, one of which was to closely monitor those suffering from acute respiratory ailments.

"Patients having Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) are being monitored and also have to undergo tests for COVID19 mandatorily.

In the last 24 hours there were 71 new cases (of SARI) but none of them turned positive for COVID-19", he said.

Another measure taken by the government was to distribute vegetables and essential items to homes of people to prevent crowding at markets like at Koyambedu in Chennai, he said.

For contract workers, the government has provided accomodation and Rs 1000 as dole to those having ration cards.

Initially card holders were given rice free of cost and now they were being given dhal, sugar and oil, he said, adding 90 per cent of them have received the financial assistance.

On Thursday alone 8.50 lakh families, including those engaged in the fireworks industry in the State were given Rs 1000 as dole, he said.

To a query, he said the Centre had released Rs 510 crore to the state from the disaster relief Fund and an additional Rs 314 crore under the National Health Mission

Asked whether the amount was sufficient, he said the state government was utilising funds from other resources and so there was no question of having enough funds or not.

A health department bulletin later said 2.10 lakh passengers were screened at Chennai, Tiruchirappalli, Madurai and Coimbatore airports and 93,014 people were put under home

Till date, 45,758 people had completed the 28 days follow-up, it said.

A Nagapattinam report said a 65-year-old doctor, who returned from the U.S.A., tested positive for Coronavirus on Thursay.

The other 11 people from the district were those who attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation at Delhi

The area where the doctor was living and operating a clinic has been declared as a 'containment zone', officials said.