<p>Four people, who returned here from Kuwait and were sent to quarantine facilities, tested positive for <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tag/coronavirus" target="_blank">novel coronavirus</a> on Tuesday, in the first incident of foreign returnees being infected with COVID-19. The day also saw 716 fresh COVID-19 cases and a sharp increase in the number of deaths for a single day as eight people breathed their last in the past 24 hours.</p>.<p><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/coronavirus-india-live-updates-total-cases-deaths-covid-19-tracker-worldometer-update-lockdown-30-latest-news-835374.html" target="_blank">For latest updates and live news on coronavirus, click here</a></strong></p>.<p>Though the Tamil Nadu government says it has one of the lowest death rates due to coronavirus in the country, the death toll now stands at 61. An update from the Health Department said all eight but one, who died in the past 24 hours, have co-morbidities.</p>.<p>Out of the 716 cases reported on Tuesday, 510 belonged to this metropolis, which has a total of 4,882 coronavirus patients. Though the Government has stopped giving the break-up of the Koyambedu cluster, sources said those who have been affected due to the cluster is over 2,500 and testing of their contacts is underway.</p>.<p>The Koyambedu cluster has affected at least six northern Tamil Nadu districts, besides taking its footprints to Southern Tamil Nadu and beyond the state borders to Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.</p>.<p>The latest worry for the Health Department is the foreign returnees who are being lodged at quarantine centers arranged by the government. Over 700 people have so far come from UAE, Kuwait, and Malaysia to Chennai since May 9 and four of them have tested positive so far.</p>.<p>“Two people who returned from Kuwait and lodged at a college hostel near Vandalur tested positive on Monday night and were immediately shifted to Chengalpattu Government Hospital. They are being treated there,” a Chengalpattu district official told DH. The other two people tested positive on Tuesday. All of them had returned to Chennai on May 10 by an Air India Express flight.</p>.<p>The official said the foreign returnees are lodged at quarantine centers after their swab samples are collected at the Chennai Airport. Officials with the Health Department said they are keeping a close watch on foreign returnees as they could be potential carriers of coronavirus. </p>.<p>“We take them straight from the airport to quarantine centers though they can choose whether to stay at the free centers or by paying at designated hotels. Still, we need to keep a close watch on them,” a senior official said.</p>.<p>Till now, the state has tested 2,66,687 samples of which 11,103 are repeat samples of COVID-19 positive patients.</p>
<p>Four people, who returned here from Kuwait and were sent to quarantine facilities, tested positive for <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tag/coronavirus" target="_blank">novel coronavirus</a> on Tuesday, in the first incident of foreign returnees being infected with COVID-19. The day also saw 716 fresh COVID-19 cases and a sharp increase in the number of deaths for a single day as eight people breathed their last in the past 24 hours.</p>.<p><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/coronavirus-india-live-updates-total-cases-deaths-covid-19-tracker-worldometer-update-lockdown-30-latest-news-835374.html" target="_blank">For latest updates and live news on coronavirus, click here</a></strong></p>.<p>Though the Tamil Nadu government says it has one of the lowest death rates due to coronavirus in the country, the death toll now stands at 61. An update from the Health Department said all eight but one, who died in the past 24 hours, have co-morbidities.</p>.<p>Out of the 716 cases reported on Tuesday, 510 belonged to this metropolis, which has a total of 4,882 coronavirus patients. Though the Government has stopped giving the break-up of the Koyambedu cluster, sources said those who have been affected due to the cluster is over 2,500 and testing of their contacts is underway.</p>.<p>The Koyambedu cluster has affected at least six northern Tamil Nadu districts, besides taking its footprints to Southern Tamil Nadu and beyond the state borders to Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.</p>.<p>The latest worry for the Health Department is the foreign returnees who are being lodged at quarantine centers arranged by the government. Over 700 people have so far come from UAE, Kuwait, and Malaysia to Chennai since May 9 and four of them have tested positive so far.</p>.<p>“Two people who returned from Kuwait and lodged at a college hostel near Vandalur tested positive on Monday night and were immediately shifted to Chengalpattu Government Hospital. They are being treated there,” a Chengalpattu district official told DH. The other two people tested positive on Tuesday. All of them had returned to Chennai on May 10 by an Air India Express flight.</p>.<p>The official said the foreign returnees are lodged at quarantine centers after their swab samples are collected at the Chennai Airport. Officials with the Health Department said they are keeping a close watch on foreign returnees as they could be potential carriers of coronavirus. </p>.<p>“We take them straight from the airport to quarantine centers though they can choose whether to stay at the free centers or by paying at designated hotels. Still, we need to keep a close watch on them,” a senior official said.</p>.<p>Till now, the state has tested 2,66,687 samples of which 11,103 are repeat samples of COVID-19 positive patients.</p>
