Coronavirus: Tamil Nadu to test all persons who come from other states, countries

Tamil Nadu has decided to test every person coming from other states and countries through various modes of transport for Coronavirus as the state continues to report over 400 cases every day.

Also, the state has formed a 400-member committee to screen people who arrive in Chennai through trains and other modes of transport. So far, seven flights carrying 1,275 passengers have landed in Tamil Nadu till Thursday, and nine of them, four from Kuwait and five from Malaysia, have tested positive.

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While the positive patients have been shifted to hospitals, rest are at quarantine facilities. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu recorded 447 fresh Covid-19 patients on Thursday, the lowest in the past one week.

The state will receive 1,076 passengers who will arrive by New Delhi-Chennai Special Train and all of them will be taken to quarantine centers for testing. In a cause of concern, 22 people who returned from Maharashtra and two from Qatar have tested positive on Thursday with Health Minister C Vijayabhaskar terming handing those coming from other states and countries as a “challenging task.”

In a GO, the state said it will conduct RT-PCR tests on everyone who comes from other states. If they test negative, they will be sent to 14-day home quarantine. If facilities are not available at home, they can opt for institutional quarantine.

“Those coming from hotspot states such as Delhi, Gujarat, and Maharashtra will be sent to institutional quarantine for seven days even if they test negative. After seven days, they will be sent home after seven days and display no symptoms,” the order said.

Persons coming from one district to another within #TamilNadu will be tested if they display symptoms, the GO said.

“Those coming from abroad are tested and sent to hospital if found positive. If the result is negative, they will undergo institutional/hotel quarantine for seven days. Another test will be conducted after 7 days, if it continues to be negative, they will be sent for home quarantine for 24 days. #coronavirus #Covid_19,” it further added.