Three more DMK MLAs test positive for COVID-19 infection

Officials of the health department are in the process of contact tracing for further tests. With this, more than 10 legislators from AIADMK and DMK have been infected by coronavirus so far.

The Krishnagiri district has reported 387 confirmed cases, including the seven new cases on Sunday. Meanwhile, the number of cases in Vellore breached the 4,000 mark and the total deaths in the district stands at 25 till date. Sunday saw 190 positive cases, just one short of Saturday’s total of 191. In contrast, neighbouring Tiruvannamalai district took more than two months to cross 3,900, with the addition of 135 new cases on Sunday. Officials said 2,113 patients had been discharged from various hospitals.

District health officials in Vellore said the virus was spreading mostly through friends and relatives of affected persons and not from outsiders, as vigil has been tightened on roads bordering Tiruvannamalai, Chennai and Andhra Pradesh.

However, the management of district borders was found wanting when a female Goondas Act detainee in advanced state of pregnancy was able to escape from the Vellore Government Medical College Hospital and reach Gummidipoondi in Tiruvallur district via Andhra without an e-pass.

At present, those tested positive are being quarantined for 7 days as against 14 days earlier. There are talks about reducing this period further to 5 days but officials have refused to comment.

Speaking about quarantining, Vellore Naruvi Hospital virology department head A Raghavendran said, “The 7-day isolation is an accepted treatment protocol as patients are asymptomatic till day three.” Asked about the proposed move to reduce quarantine time to 5 days, he said, “Nobody has experience on how a virus behaves within 5 days; 7 or 10-day quarantine is ideal.”