While revealing the new numbers, the Health Secretary pointed out that the new cases were discovered because participants from the conference came forward by themselves.
In the largest single-day spike in Tamil Nadu so far, the state reported 110 more cases of the coronavirus on Wednesday. The total number of cases in the state has now risen to 234.
According to Tamil Nadu Health Secretary Beela Rajesh, all 110 people who tested positive were part of the conference in New Delhi, organised by the Tablighi Jamaat, an Islamic organisation. The event was held between March 8 and March 21. Following a request from the state on Tuesday to self declare, 1103 who attended the conference came forward for tests. The patients who attended the conference belong to 19 districts across the state.
While revealing the new numbers, the Health Secretary pointed out that the new cases were discovered because participants from the conference came forward by themselves.
“Since last night, people who took part in the Delhi conference started to arrive at hospitals as soon as the state government put forward the request for self declaration. We have been working day and night on this,” said Health Secretary Beela Rajesh.
The district wise break up for the latest cases is – Tirunelveli – 6, Coimbatore – 28, Erode – 2, Theni – 20, Dindigul – 17, Madurai – 9, Tirupathur – 7, Chengalpet – 7, Sivagangai – 5, Tuticorin – 2, Tiruvarur – 2, Karur – 1, Kanchi – 2, Chennai – 1 and Tiruvannamalai – 1.
Overall, the state has tested 2,726 samples for the virus of which 234 people have tested positive. Of the 110 new cases, one person is from Myanmar and the another from Indonesia. 190 people from the conference in New Delhi have tested positive in Tamil Nadu. Close to 1,500 people from the state had attended the conference.
“Using the efficiency of the containment plan we will be able to fight this. Our full focus for the next two days will be on the containment plan,” said the Health Secretary.
On Tuesday, 57 new cases were reported of which 50 patients had attended the Tablighi Jamaat conference in New Delhi These patients were admitted at hospitals in Kanyakumari (5 patients), Tirunelveli (23 patients), Chennai (4 patients) and Namakkal (18 patients), Madurai (2 patients), Villupuram (3 patients) respectively. The others include four persons from Chennai, one from Kanyakumari, one from Thiruvannamalai and a 25-year-old male.
Tamil Nadu’s total number of COVID-19 affected patients stands at 234 as of April 1, 6.30 pm with six recoveries and one death.
The Health Department has advised elderly residents to not leave the house and others who are in touch with them to maintain social distancing.
During a press meet earlier, the Health Secretary said that the number of members who attended the Delhi conference is estimated to be about 1500 in the state. “This number is dynamic. It keeps changing,” she said adding, “Out of these 1,500 members, 1,113 returned to Tamil Nadu.
Source: The News Minute