With numerous cases being reported from various districts, the ‘Koyambedu cluster’ has become the latest health challenge for the government. On Monday alone, cases related to the cluster breached the 250 mark in various districts, excluding Chennai.
Cuddalore saw the most number of new cases, with 107 persons testing positive on Monday. With 15 cases reported on Sunday and seven cases on Saturday, the total number of positive cases from the Koyambedu cluster reached 129 as the overall tally in the district toll rose to 161. An official said, “Nearly 700 workers and traders from Koymabedu cluster have reached Cuddalore. Tests for 430 persons are still pending. We are tracking the contacts.”
Neighbouring Villupuram saw 49 new cases connected with Koyambedu. It had seen 33 cases on Saturday, and four till Saturday. The spike pushed the number of positive persons in the district beyond 100. It now has 135 positive cases. Sources said nearly 750 persons, including 459 having direct connections with traders and their family members, have been quarantined.
Central districts struggle
Panic gripped residents of Ariyalur and Perambalur as several Koyambedu returnees tested positive. On Monday, six persons who returned to Ariyalur tested positive. taking the total number of cases in the district to 34. Samples of over 200 people were collected and more than 155 people were placed under quarantine, a health department official said.In Perambalur, twenty-five positive cases were reported. Of this, 24 people returned from Koyambedu and the other patient is a 18-years-old-girl related to one of returnees. “Samples of over 150 people have been collected and more than 100 people quarantined,” said an official. Besides, four Koyambedu returnees in Tiruchy district and a 25-year-old man in Karur tested positive. Tiruchy had seen no new cases since April 22.
T-malai: Orange to Red
Tiruvannamalai district recorded nine new positive cases on Monday, all attributed to this cluster. The surge pushed the district from ‘Orange Zone to ‘Red Zone’. Another Koyambedu-related case was registered on Sunday. “Of the 25 positive cases, 10 contracted the virus from Koyambedu cluster,” collector KS Kandasamy said. Ten cases were reported in Dindigul district too.
With inputs from R Sivakumar @ Vellore, Bagalavan Perier @ Villupuram, Nirupa Sampath @ Cuddalore, Shyamsundar N @ Vellore, K Ezhilarasan @ Tiruchy and Vinodh Arulappan @ Madurai
