COVID-19: Tamil Nadu sees spike of 17 new cases, tally now 67

In a spike, as many as 17 people tested positive for coronavirus, the highest so far in a single day in Tamil Nadu and there are totally 67 positive cases, Chief Minister K Palaniswami said here on Monday. The tally, which stood at 50 on Sunday saw fresh cases from a couple of regions in Tamil Nadu.

The new cases include 10 from Erode, Palaniswami told reporters at the Secretariat here adding additional personal protective equipment like N-95 masks for the health personnel have been ordered. The 10 men from Erode have a travel history to Delhi, he told reporters at the Secretariat.

On the spike in numbers, he said: "A big group of about 1,500 persons had been to Delhi and several from that group are infected. Of the 1,500 people, 981 have come back and we are testing all of them and it is the reason for the jump in numbers.

" The Chief Minister said migrant workers stranded in Tamil Nadu have already been provided food and shelter apart from medical help and other States have been requested to extend similar aid to the State's workers. On about 600 Tamil Nadu workers stuck in in Maharashtra, he said the government has requested the western State to help them assuring to foot the bill.

"There are 1,49,394 migrant workers in Tamil Nadu including 32,469 construction labourers and we have provided food, shelter and medical amenities to all daily wage earners Companies that have hired workers on monthly salary are extending all help on their own," he said. Palaniswami said as many as 14 testing centres were now available including those in private sector.

"Soon, three more labs will be testing," he said adding 43,537 people were under observation at their homes for the virus. To a question, he said testing could be done only for symptomatic people.

Steps have been taken to buy 2,500 ventilators and 30,000 test kits, 11 separate committes have been formed led by officials to coordinate various activities including one to protect the interests of migrant workers and Tamil Nadu workers presently in other States, he said. On Personal Protective Equipment, he said the government has ordered procurement of 25 lakh N-95 respirators, 1.

5 crore masks and 11 lakk protective gear. Permission is given to people to travel for deaths, weddings and medical emergencies, he said adding consent will not be given for any other reason and remarked: "If everyone has to go (travel outside), there is no need to clamp prohibitory (Section 144, CrPc) orders.

" Asked on disbursement of cash assistance of Rs 1,000 to ration card holders, he said details will be made known later adding however "we have said that the district collectors may take a decision on disbursing the cash assistance based on the situation in their respective regions. " Arrangements have been made to procure essential commodities like dhal, tamarind and cooking oil, he said.

When asked about DMK chief and leader of opposition M K Stalin's demand for an all party meeting to discuss steps to stop spread of coronavirus, he said there was nothing that warranted an all party meeting over the matter and much less for politics. A government release said they had contact with two Thailand nationals who are being treated at Perundurai Medical College Hospital in Erode District.

Further, the release said, of the remaining seven new cases, four were Chennai-based 'family contacts' of a US returnee who had tested positive. Being treated at a private hospital here, the four persons include two women, a 15-year old girl and 20-year old man.

A 25-year old man is a family contact of a positive patient he has been admitted at the Government Rajaji Medical College Hospital in Madurai. The other two new positive people are a 50-year old woman from downtown Broadway here and a 42-year old man of They are being treated at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital here and at the Karur Government Medical College Hospital respectively.