MADURAI: A day after 54-year-old COVID-19 patient, who is said to have contracted the virus from a group of Thai nationals, died in Tamil Nadu's Madurai, the health department have traced and quarantined 8 members of the group.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, District Collector TG Vinay said that the eight preachers from Thailand who came on a religious tour reached Madurai on March 12. They were received at Madurai airport by the deceased man from Anna Nagar. Accompanied by two Madurai natives, they have visited several mosques in the city over the past two weeks.
"All eight preachers along with the locals were found near Malaipatti village in Alanganallur by the team of officials on Monday. They were quarantined at Government Hospital for Thoracic Medicine (GHTM) at Thoppur near Tirumangalam with immediate effect on the same day," he said.
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He added that two of the Thai nationals developed symptoms of COVID-19 on Wednesday. "Samples for swab test have been taken and sent to the testing lab at Government Medical College here. The test results would be out on Thursday morning," he said.
He further clarified that the group did not have any connection with the two Thai nationals in Erode.
However, Health Minister C Vijayabaskar told reporters on Tuesday, at Chennai, that the deceased had contact with a group of Thai nationals, two of whom tested positive for COVID-19 and are being treated at Perundurai.