VELLORE: Vellore district recorded its first COVID-19 casualty late on Tuesday with a 45-year-old man passing away at a private hospital, a week after being admitted. At her evening briefing, Health Secretary Beela Rajesh had put the number of cases related to COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu at 690 and deaths at seven.
According to officials in Vellore, the deceased’s test came back positive for COVID-19 only at 6.00 pm on Tuesday. His death was intimated at 8.00 pm, officials said. While this would take the number of cases in TN to 691 and deaths to eight, the State health department has yet to issue an official statement on the matter.
However, Vellore district collector A Shanmuga Sundaram confirmed reporters that the man, who had been admitted at CMC Vellore, died on Tuesday. "The man's samples tested positive for COVID-19," he said.
Senior health department officials in Chennai also confirmed the death. The deceased’s relatives told Express that he had been at CMC for a week in the general ward.
The deceased was a resident of Saidapet in Vellore city. "He has no travel history as per our preliminary inquiry. Only contact transmission might have been there," Shanmuga Sundaram said.
The body, which has been kept at the CMC hospital, will be cremated as per the procedure laid down by Tamil Nadu government for handling dead bodies of COVID-19 patients, the Collector said.