Covid-19 cases hit record one-day high in Nilgiris

Udhagamandalam: Covid-19 cases hit a record one-day high in the Nilgiris on Monday with 26 positive cases taking the tally to 150.
Of the 26 cases, eight are returnees from other districts, 17 are primary and secondary contacts of an official of a needle manufacturing company here and a secondary contact of an earlier positive case with travel history.
The Nilgiris, which was Covid-free till June 14, reported 150 cases in the last 20 days. The official of the private company, who is being treated at the ESI hospital in Coimbatore, accounts for 88 cases of primary and secondary contacts. Over 150 test results of his contacts are pending in the lab, health officials said.
“As far as the eight positive cases of returnees from other districts are concerned, the cases will be cross-notified to the respective districts,” deputy director of public health Dr P Balusamy said. The districts include Ramanathapuram, Namakkal, Thoothukudi, Sivaganga and Madurai.
The new cases were reported from Ooty town, Kotagiri, Wellington, Ketti, Yellanhalli, Katteri and Karakorai. Located closely, Yellanhalli and Ketti clusters continue to grow larger with seven more people testing positive for the virus on Monday. Ketti, Yellanhalli and surrounding areas had already reported over 30 cases.
The needle manufacturing company is located at Yellanhalli, 6km away from Ooty. It employed 755 people and was locked after the first case was reported. Over 1,000 swab samples from the employees and their families were lifted for testing.
While 71 patients are being treated at the Ooty Government Headquarters Hospital, 20 are under treatment in ESI Hospital in Coimbatore. As many as 59 patients were discharged after treatment.
Nilgiris collector J Innocent Divya requested the public not to travel to other districts unnecessarily as eight cases recorded on Monday were returnees from other districts.