Chennai, May 8 () Three men died of COVID-19 and asmany as 600 people tested positive for coronavirus on Fridaytaking the aggregate number of cases in Tamil Nadu to 6,009,Health Minister C Vijayabaskar said.
Of the total 4,361 active cases as on date, 1,589 werelinked to the Koyambedu market here, according to a healthdepartment bulletin.
The market for vegetables, flowers and fruits hereis seen as the biggest hotspot for the spread of the contagionin Tamil Nadu eclipsing the earlier single source (a Delhievent in which about 1,500 people from Tamil Nadu had takenpart in March) for the dispersion of the virus.
The market is barred for public now and it is beingshifted to suburban Tirumazhisai and Chief MinisterK Palaniswami is expected to inspect arrangements at the new,makeshift premises.
Tamil Nadu has been recording consistently more than500 cases in recent days.
As seen in earlier days, there were a number ofchildren below 10 years among the newly infected.
Chennai, which had all along been on the top ofthe list of districts of coronavirus positive cases added399 new cases today crossing the 3,000 mark.
Totally, 3,043 people have tested positivefor the virus in Chennai and on Thursday, the aggreagatenumber here was 2,644.
Cuddalore, as was the case in recent days, continuedto be the second district with more (390) cases.
Dharmapuri (4) and Pudukottai (5) were among thedistricts that had least number of cases.
Following the three deaths, the number offatalities in the state has risen to 40.
Two men hailing from here -a 78-year old andanother 56-year-old- and a 83-year-old man died of COVID-19 atgovernment hospitals on Thursday, the Minister said, addingthey had co-morbid conditions.
The octogenarian died at Tirunelveli and theother two men here.
Of the 600 who tested positive, 405 were menand 195 women, he said.
Tamil Nadu's mortalitiy rate is 0.68 per centwhich showed a high level of surveillance and quality oftreatment,Vijayabaskar said.
Also, immunity boosting multi-vitamins and Indiansystem of medicine based formulations besides a good diet werebeing followed, he said.
On the rising numbers, the minister said: "Thepublic need not have apprehensions about the number ofpositive cases.
It is because of aggressive testing of peopleincluding those with severe acute respiratory infections andordinary (flu like) symptoms like cough.
Tamil Nadu has tested 2,16,416 samples, the highestnumber in the entire country and a bigger State likeMaharashtra has done 2,02,105 tests till this morning, hesaid.
"We are doing more tests than States that have morepopulation and that is why a number of new positive cases areemerging and we are transparent."
Also, the testing facilities in Tamil Nadu are thehighest in India at 52 including 36 in government and 16 inprivate sectors, the Minister said.
The State has been effectively tackling the clusterof cases emerging from single sources like a religiouscongregation in Delhi previously and now the Koyambedu market,he pointed out.
Tamil Nadu government, meanwhile, said 2,570 morenurses have been appointed on contract for six months incontinuing efforts to further ramp-up the healthinfrastructure to tackle COVID-19 scenario.
The fresh recruitment comes close on the heels ofappointment of 530 doctors, 2,323 nurses, 1,508 labtechnicians and 2,715 health inspectors through the MedicalServices Recruitment Board.
The bulletin said 58 patients were discharged todayfrom various hospitals after recovery and till date 1,605 haveovercome the illness caused by the contagion. VGN BNWELCOME BNWELCOME