More journalists test positive in Tamil Nadu

Chennai: The death toll from Covid-19, novel coronavirus in Tamil Nadu touched 20 yesterday, as two more patients died in Chennai on a day 54 more persons tested positive for the virus, taking the total positive cases in the State to 1,683.

A 70-year-old woman at a private hospital in Chennai and a 70-year-old man at the Rajiv Gandhi government general hospital, were the latest casualties of this strange virus, even as greater Chennai accounted for half the new 54 positive cases on Thursday.

The total number of persons testing positive in the metropolitan district shot up sharply to 400 as on date, while six of the 27 new cases reported in the city were attributed to a 'primary' source of the infection, as per the official bulletin for the day. The remaining 21 persons were their contacts.

Salem and Namakkal, district-wise, came next with five and four cases respectively. Number of persons at Mohan Kumaramangalam government hospital in Salem, treated at the isolated ward there went up to 29, even as Thanjavur medical college hospital is now handling 54 positive cases.

From the media fraternity, one more person from a Tamil television channel tested positive today at Chengelpet and has been admitted there with his wife and child.

The total number of media persons testing positive for corona so far in the State is 37 as on date, sources said.

There was a flutter at the Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple as word went around that the mother of a senior priest there had tested positive for the virus. Following this, the temple joint commissioner and 'Thakkar' were called by the authorities to take a test, sources said.