TN reports 96 more COVID-19 cases; tally rises to 834

As many as 96 people in Tamil Nadu tested positive for COVID-19, a majority of them returnees from Tablighi jamat event in Delhi, taking the total cases in the state to 834, a top government official said. There were no deaths since Wednesday evening while 27 people had been discharged after recovery, state Health Secretary Beela Rajesh said.

"Today there were 96 positive cases of which 84 of them were from same source contact (Tablighi conference) while three people had made inter-state travelling and the remaining nine contracted the virus from other people including a private doctor," she told reporters here.

So far, Tamil Nadu had reported eight deaths due to coronavirus. Rajesh said the government has been taking up containment activities across 34 districts and have screened 16 lakh households with a population of 58.76 lakh by deploying more then 32,000 field officers.

Briefing reporters, she said there was variance in the number of people who had visited Delhi for the jamat event as more people with symptoms have been coming forward to take up tests following the appeal made by Chief Minister K Palaniswami and the state government.

According to her, as many as 1,480 people have attended the conference of which 763 tested positive for COVID19. "Those who have travelled on their own is 554 (of the 763 positive cases) and the secondary contacts is 209", she said. Replying to a question, she said rapid test kits for COVID-19 were expected to reach anytinme from China.

It was an antibody test and the results can be available within 30 minutes, she said adding these would be conducted free of charge by the government. Reiterating the government's earlier appeal to people stay indoors, wash hands frequently and maintain social distancing, she said people were not aware of the disease's intensity as it was varying every day.

"There have been lot of deaths in many countries. Therefore, our humble request is to follow the guidance of the government, stay indoors, do hand wash regularly and maintain social distancing,"  she said.

Meanwhile, Municipal administration minister S P Velumani said in Udhagamandalam that the government would soon take a decision on using the lab at Pasteur Institute there for coronavirus testing. The institute has written a letter to the government in this connection, he told reporters.