CHENNAI: It was another heavy day for Tamil Nadu in terms of COVID-19 cases with 98 people, including 91 "same source" contacts, testing positive for the disease, taking the tally rose to 1,173 on Monday as the state government announced extension of the lockdown to check its spread till April 30.
In another related development, wearing of masks was made compulsory with immediate effect from Monday for people in Chennai whenever they they step out of their homes, the city civic body said.
Announcing the fresh cases in the state, Health Secretary Beela Rajesh said of the 98 positive cases, as many as 91 of them were 'same source' contacts, an apparent reference to the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in the national capital.
The other seven cases were secondary contacts and included doctors and medical staff, Health Secretary Beela Rajesh said.
The death toll due to COVID-19 in the state remained at 11, she told reporters here.
The number of discharged has increased to 58, she added.
The state had on Sunday registered 106 fresh cases.
A report from Coimbatore said two doctors, both men, at the ESI Hospital there tested positive for coronavirus.
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister K Palaniswami announced the extension of the lockdown, valid till Tuesday,saying it was in line with the recommendations of medical and public health experts.
He said the rate of infection in the state has been reined in since the 21-day lockdown was implemented 'vigorously' and it might lead to a spurt in spread of the contagion if the curbs were eased.
In view of the continuation of the lockdown, rice ration card holders will get essential commodities, including rice, toor dhal, sugar and cooking oil free of cost for the month of May too, he said.
Also, families of workers in the construction and unorganised sectors will get Rs 1,000 as finanicial asssistance for the second time, he said.
During her media briefing on the COVID-19 situation, the Health Secretary said approvals had been received for two more labs -- in Vellore Medical College, and State Public Health Lab here -- taking the total facilities for testing for the virus to 25, including nine in private sector.
Maintaining that the government undertook measures well in advance in ordering medical equipmentsoon after World Health Organisation declared COVID19 as a pandemic, Rajesh said the success story of the state was that it was able to identify how many people turned positive from a 'single source' contact.
"Another success story is that today we had 62 people under the SARI (Severe Acute Respiratory Infection category) but none of them turned COVID19 positive. This is the success story of Tamil Nadu", she said.
"However, the aim of the government is to ensure that the death (due to coronavirus) remains 'minimal', she said.
Sharing details of the medical equipment purchased by the government, Rajesh said, Tamil Nadu made procurement of the three layer mask, N95 mask and PPE well in advance even though the state did not have any single positive case then.
The first case in the state was detected on March 7.
"As on date we have 65 lakh three layer masks, three lakh N95 masks and 3,371 ventilators. We have also ordered for four lakh rapid testing kits," she said.
The official said the government did not wait for the arrival of shipmentcontaining the rapid testing kits from China but proceeded with conducting PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction)tests on a 'large scale'.
A medical bulletin later released by the health department said Chennai continued to top the list of those affected with 205 positive cases followed by Coimbatore 126.
As on date 93,941 people are under home quarantine for 28 days,it said.
Announcing the compulsory mask rule, the corporation said: "As long as the public are moving outside, they have to wear it (masks).
"If found without masks, then their movement passes will be cancelled and vehicles will be impounded for three months. This comes into effect forthwith," it said.
In Coimbatore, the doctors, aged 26 and 27 respectively, were treating patients during the first week of this month and developed symptoms of coronavirus, health department sources said.
They underwent the tests on Sunday and found positive for COVID19, they said adding steps have been taken to screen other doctors and para-medics in the hospital who had come into contact with the two.
As many as 119 coronavirus cases are being treated in the hospital.