Five more test positive for COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu; Tally in state rises to 23

Tamil Nadu on Wednesday reported five more positive patients of coronavirus, including four Indonesian nationals, taking the number of those infected with COVID-19 to 23. This includes patient 1 who has recovered and patient 12 who passed away early Wednesday due to comorbid conditions of diabetes and hypertension.

Four Indonesian nationals and their local guide have tested positive for the virus and are under quarantine at the Government Medical College hospital in Salem.

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“5 news cases of #COVID19 in TN. 4 Indonesian nationals & their travel guide from Chennai test positive at #Salem Medical College. Quarantined since 22.3.2020,” Health Minister C Vijayabaskar tweeted.

The fresh cases were reported on a day the 12th patient, a 54-year-old man, passed away at the Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai in the early hours of Wednesday. Despite all efforts, the patient breathed his last at around 1.30 am on Wednesday at the Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai, 460 km from here.

Within hours of the death, the last rites of the 54-year-old man was completed before the break of the dawn after the body was handed over to the kin.

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The state has so far placed 15,492 passengers under home quarantine for 28 days and 43 asymptomatic passengers from highly affected countries are being quarantined in quarantine facilities near airport and 211 are under hospital isolation.

“Till now 890 samples have been taken from the passengers. The samples of 780 passengers are processed of which 757 samples are negative, 23 samples are positive for COVID-19 infection and 110 samples are under process,” an update from the Health Department said.