A 21 year-old student who returned from Ireland became Tamil Nadu's third coronavirus positive case while authorities said the second patient had not travelled to Nepal as suspected but ruled out community spread of the infection in the state.
The government said more than 1.9 lakh passengers have been screened as part of its fight against coronavirus in the state which is already under virutal lockdown with educational institutions, theatres, malls and resorts closed till March 31 as part of preventive measures.
The state reported its second positive case in two days with the student who arrived from Dublin on Tuesday being the latest to be affected by the virus.
"21 Yr (old) student from Dublin, Ireland tested positive for #Covid19. On his arrival on 17.3 (2020) @Chennai, he was screened & home quarantined.Yday he reported to RGGH with symptoms. Samples sent for testing yday,confirmed positive today," Health Minister C Vijayabaskar said in a tweet.
The man was stable and being treated in the isolation ward at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) here, he added.
While, the state's first confirmed coronavirus case, a 45-year-old man, has been discharged following recovery, a youth, who arrived here from Delhi by train, tested positive for the virus on Wednesday.
The preventive measures announced by the state government were welcomed by superstar Rajinikanth who requested for financial assistance to those livelihood may be affected during "this difficult situation."
The veteran actor, who is expected to launch his political party ahead of next year's assembly elections in the state, also called for public cooperation in preventing the spread of virus.
On Thursday, officials said the second positive case, a 20 year-old man, was a native of Uttar Pradesh and had arrived from Delhi.
Officials had earlier suspected if he had travelled to Nepal but on Thursday ruled out the possibility.
"Definitely not", a health official told PTI when asked if the person had travelled to Nepal, making him perhaps the country's first domestic positive case.
Those whom he had come into contact with where being traced as per protocol, officials added.
He was doing well and stable and 10 people who came in contact with him have been quarantined.
Though the health minister had on Wednesday said this was a domestic case with no history of foreign travel, officials declined to elaborate how and where he contracted the virus.
There was no community spread of the infection in Tamil Nadu and instructions have been given to screen passengers arriving at the domestic airport terminal here as well, the state government asserted on Thursday.
While a senior doctor at the RGGGH said the man was "under treatment, doing well and stable," Vijayabaskar told reporters that 10 people who came in contact with him have been quarantined overnight.
The Minister said more people who came in contact with the man were being traced and they will also be quarantined.
Instructions have been given to screen passengers at the domestic airport terminal and an inspection will be done in this regard, he said adding "there is no community spread of the infection in Tamil Nadu."
A new mobile application has been developed for contact tracing of positive patients and it will be implemented on a pilot basis, he said.
The minister said 1,94,236 passengers have been screened so far, with 3,481 of them being followed up. There were 39 admissions while the government has set up 1,120 beds in isolation wards.
As many as 232 of the 320 samples sent for testing so far have returned negative for coronavirus with three, including the discharged patient, reporting positive for the virus, he said.
The rest were "under process," he added.
Meanwhile, state Director General of Police L K Tripathy in a statement has warned of stringent action against those creating panic by spreading rumours and fake news regarding coronavirus.
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