CHENNAI: Two days after a 24-year-old journalist in Royapuram zone tested positive for COVID-19, 26 more of his colleagues tested positive on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the State confirmed 76 new COVID-19 cases, including the journalists, and one death, taking the tally to 1,596 and the number of deaths to 18. The State also saw 178 people being discharged from hospitals following recovery.
The Tamil news channel where the journalists worked has temporarily shut down operations. As on Tuesday, the Royapuram zone has the most number of cases in the city with 92 testing positive so far. Since the journalist tested positive, the City Corporation drew 94 samples from his workplace. Of these, 26 have tested positive so far.
“The results of some samples are yet to come,” a Corporation official said. Health Department said it has quarantined all contacts of the 27 staff of the media house, including their family members. Samples will be taken for testing from the high-risk contacts of these 27, an official said. The journalist who first tested positive is a resident of a police quarters in Royapuram.