Three more COVID-19 deaths in Tamil Nadu, toll now 74; 477 test positive

(Eds: Adds details) Chennai, May 16 (PTI): Three people succumbed to COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu on Saturday while 477 tested positive, taking the number of those infected to 10,585, the Health department said. While the number of fresh cases was below the 500 mark for the second straight day, the state also saw another encouraging sign with a whopping 939 people being discharged, taking the total number of those cured so far to 3,538.

Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar appealed to the people not to panic, saying the government was adopting aggressive testing, early diagnosis and clinical management and new strategies to contain the spread of the virus. The toll due to COVID-19 in the state rose to 74 with the addition of three deaths including that of a 78-year-old man, he said.

Chennai continues to lead with the majority of positive cases among districts at 332, he said. Among the newly infected include two one-year old babies, a 99-year old woman and a 94-year old woman, all from Chennai.

A bulletin issued by the Health department said the three people who died on Saturday due to coronavirus were also suffering from various ailments including 'community acquired pneumonia and respiratory failure'. It said there were 6,970 active cases in Tamil Nadu and one government and two private labs have been approved to carry out COVID-19 tests taking the total number of testing facilities in the state to 61.

The Minister told reporters that of the 477 new infections, 93 were those who arrived from other countries and states. According to him, 10,535 samples were tested on Saturday.

The State has been witnessing a decrease in the number of cases over the last few days, Vijaya Baskar said, adding despite the decline in numbers, the government was facing new challenges or a new trend as people arriving through various modes of transport had tested positive for COVID-19. Elaborating, he said as many as 10 flights had come from various places to Chennai and Tiruchirappalli in the last few days of which seven flights had no COVID-19 positive cases while three flights had positive cases.

"In one flight there were four positive cases while another had five and the third flight had four positive cases. So, totally 13 positive cases in three flights. This is a challenge," he added.

He said the government was closely monitoring co- passengers of those who tested positive after arriving here. Similarly, Vijaya Baskar said results of tests conducted on 849 people who had arrived from New Delhi by train were awaited.

"Since they are all coming from New Delhi we expect there may be some positive cases. Another 1,000 people are on their way to Chennai from New Delhi by trainand after their arrival we will put them in quarantine facilities. We have formed 400 teams to test them," he added. The Health Minister also pointed out that those districts which have reported 'nil' positive cases, have reported COVID-19 positive because of people who had arrived from other states.

Citing an example, he said, five people upon their arrival from Gujarat in Dindigul have become coronavirus positive. Similarly, Sivaganga district which had reported 'nil' cases now has nine positive cases because those people had arrived from Maharashtra, the minister added.

"These are the new challenges before us", he said and added that the government has been taking various preventive measures to contain the spread of the virus in the state. According to Vijaya Baskar, among the 93 people who arrived in Tamil Nadu on Saturday four were from Dhaka (Bangladesh), 81 from Maharashtra, seven from Gujarat and one from Andhra Pradesh.PTI VIJ SS RAVINDRANATH SS RAVINDRANATH