Tamil Nadu: Two More Test Covid-19 Positive After Coming In Contact With Thai Islamic Preachers, Cases Rise To 35

Six more persons tested positive for Coronavirus (Covid-19) in Tamil Nadu on Friday (27 March) even as the total number of Covid-19 cases in the State increased to 35.

The National Health Mission - Tamil Nadu tweeted that two of the six were family contacts of the 54-year-old Madurai patient, who died during wee hours of 25 March (Wednesday).

Two others were from Erode who had come in contact with two Thailand Islamic preachers of Tablighi Jamaat, who have also tested positive for Covid-19.

One of the Covid-19 positive cases had come in contact with a person who returned from abroad, while a 25-year old Chennai woman has been admitted to the Aryilur General Hospital with the pandemic case.

Of the 35 Covid-19 cases in Tamil Nadu, six are Tablighi Jamaat preachers with four of them from Indonesia apart from the Thai preachers.

At least seven persons have got infected by these preachers. While one person in Salem tested positive for Coronavirus after coming into contact with a group of 11 Indonesian preachers, three persons in Erode got infected by the Thailand preachers.

Both the Tablighi Jamaat preacher groups have been going through the western districts since 10 March.

Thailand Islamic Preachers

This apart, all three Madurai cases can be traced back to the Thailand preachers, who held a meeting at the Anna Nagar mosque in the temple city. The lone deceased in Tamil Nadu had come in contact with the Thais at the mosque.

About 285 people have been placed in isolation wards.

The two Thailand Tablighi Jamaat preachers, part of a seven-member group, tested positive for Covid-19 on 22 March. One of the seven-member group died last week at Coimbatore from health complication such as diabetes and hypertension.

However, since he showed signs of being infected with Coronavirus, the entire group was screened at the IRT Medical College Hospital in Perundari, near Erode. The Thai preachers have visited at least three mosques in Erode.

Indonesian Islamic Preachers

A total of 14 Indonesia Islamic preachers and their Salem guide tested positive on 25 March after the district collector ordered a fresh screening at the Rajaji Government Hospital in the city. The Indonesians had reportedly been screened at Chennai before they travelled to Salem.

They have visited at least four mosques in the region.

Apart from this group, nine Indonesian preachers who were part of a different 13-member group tested positive for the pandemic virus in Telangana.

So far, 753 people have tested positive for coronavirus in India, including 67 who have recovered and 18 victims. Of the 753, foreigners account for nearly 50 cases out of which the Tablighi Jamaat preachers from Indonesia and Thailand comprise 16.

Click here for more information on the Tablighi Jamaat.