TIRUVANNAMALAI: The resistance of the tribals staying at the Jamunamarathur block in Jawadhu Hills in Tiruvannamalai against COVID-19 virus attack finally fell apart as 20 positive cases were reported in the hills. However, none of them were local resident, all were returnees from estates of Karnataka.
Official sources said that the twenty tribal labourers, who tested positive, had returned from Shimoga in Karnataka. They were put under observation at a facility quarantine centre atop the hills after taking samples.
“The results of the tests were received on Monday night. Twenty tribal workers returning from Shimoga tested positive,” said a senior officer. All the positive persons were ferried from the hills to the Govt District Headquarters Hospital in Cheyyar where they were undergoing treatment at the isolation treatment ward, the officer added.
Contact tracing has been initiated as soon as the results were received. “We are concentrating on primary contacts like immediate family members. They will be identified, tested and quarantined,” another officer stated.
It was perplexing that the twenty labourers, who tested had returned from an orange zone but tested positive. The sources of infection remain to be a mystery for Health workers. They doubt these group of labourers might have contracted the virus from a stopover they had at the inter-state border at Hosur in Krishnagiri district.
The vehicle carrying them moved up to Hosur where from they boarded another vehicle to reach their home. Further investigations are on. Apart from the tribal labourers, 13 others too in Tiruvannamalai district tested positive for COVID-19, official sources noted.
Eight of them had returned from Maharashtra. Meanwhile, Ranipet and Tirupathur districts reported one new case each on Tuesday. The tally of Ranipet rose to 96 while Tirupathur accounted for 31 cases.