VELLORE/TIRUVANNAMALAI: Two elderly persons down with COVID-19 died on Tuesday at Vellore's CMC Hospital as Vellore, Ranipet and Tiruvannamalai districts together accounted for 145 fresh cases.
One of the deceased, a 64-years-old Ambur native, had been running a business in Chennai. He was admitted at the CMC Hospital on 9 June, and died on Monday night, official sources said.
The other person, aged 69, was a retired school teacher, he died on Tuesday. Both of them had comorbidities.
“Both the corona positive patients died at CMC Hospital had comorbidities,” said T Manivannan, Deputy Director of Health Services, Vellore.
On Tuesday, Vellore district reported 52 new cases with 23 falling under Vellore City Municipal Corporation, the DD informed. An assistant engineer employed with the Corporation also tested positive. He was presumed to have contracted the infection from Chennai where he attended an official meeting.
Contact tracing and testing were on.
“Forty five of his close contacts, including five family members and six office staff were tested,” said Dr S Chitrasena, City Health Officer (CHO).
Relatives of two CMC Hospital staff have also tested positive in Vellore district.
Ranipet district reported 28 fresh positive cases on Tuesday. Of them, four were female children under 11 years and two male children aged 3 and 5 years, officials said.
The district reported 63 cases on Monday and 74 cases on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Tiruvannamalai witnessed highest single-day jump of 65 positive cases taking the case count to 767.
Eighteen of them were Chennai returnees, two each from Kancheepuram, Tirupur, and Karnataka, and one case from Mumbai, official sources said.
With stringent vigil put in place on the inter-district check posts, 326 persons attempting sneak into the district from other places were detained, according to district collector KS Kandasamy.
"With strict surveillance being underway at the check posts, we have detained 326 people attempting to enter into the district without e-passes. They are put under observation at quarantine centres and tests were taken," he said.
He added that criminal cases would be registered against them for violating e-pass norms.