Returnees testing COVID-19 positive in huge numbers a major challenge: Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu reported another massive spike in COVID-19 numbers with 776 people testing positive on Thursday alone, even as the government termed as a “new challenge” the increase in the number of people returning from other states, particularly Maharashtra, testing positive for the virus.

The state’s tally now stands at 13,967, including 6,282 discharges and 94 deaths – seven of which were reported on Thursday. Chennai continued to top the list with 8,795 cases with 567 people testing positive on Thursday alone. 87 people, who returned from abroad and other states, are among the 776 people whose swab samples rendered positive on Thursday.

Data released by the Tamil Nadu government shows as many as 554 people who returned from abroad or other states have so far tested positive for Coronavirus with a major chunk of them returning from Maharashtra, the country’s COVID-19 hotspot. While 470 are returnees from Maharashtra, a majority of them from Mumbai, 61 had returned from various countries, including the US and UAE.

Health Minister C Vijayabaskar admitted that handling people returning from abroad and other states are turning to be a “big challenge” for the government at a time majority of the districts have no positive cases.

“Our people returning from Mumbai, particularly from Dharavi, are testing positive for COVID-19. These people had returned from Maharashtra through various modes of transport after obtaining e-passes. It is a challenge that we are facing,” Vijayabaskar said.

While Mumbai has over 24,000 cases, Dharavi, where Tamils live in a sizeable number, alone has over 1,000 COVID-19 positive patients. These returnees are quarantined at facilities arranged by the Tamil Nadu government and each person is tested.

Another challenge, according to the Minister, was people who returned from abroad testing positive during exit test after having tested negative for the virus immediately after their return. “This is another challenge for us as 23 people who tested negative on day one have tested positive during the exit test. Though these are challenges for the state, we are well prepared to handle them,” he said.

The state has also tested 3,72,532 samples so far with 66 testing labs across Tamil Nadu. Vijayabaskar said of the 7 deaths reported on Thursday, six of them had co-morbid conditions, while maintaining that the death rate in Tamil Nadu was one of the lowest in the country.