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Tamil Nadu Reports 1st Coronavirus Death, At Least 3,000 Homes Quarantined In Chennai

The Chennai Corporation began stamping stickers outside such houses on Tuesday to ensure social distancing.
A health worker sprays disinfectant on a deserted road during the one-day Janata (civil) curfew imposed by the government, in Chennai, on March 22, 2020.
ARUN SANKAR via Getty Images
A health worker sprays disinfectant on a deserted road during the one-day Janata (civil) curfew imposed by the government, in Chennai, on March 22, 2020.

A 54-year-old man who had the novel coronavirus died in Tamil Nadu in the early hours of Wednesday, state health minister Vijayabaskar said.

This is the first covid-19 death in the state.

Vijayabaskar said, “Despite our best efforts, the COVID-19 +ve Pt at MDU, Rajaji Hospital, passed away few minutes back. He had medical history of prolonged illness with steroid dependent COPD, uncontrolled diabetes with hypertension.”

Tamil Nadu had on Tuesday reported six new coronavirus patients, taking the total number of cases in the state to 18.

The state went into lockdown at 6pm last evening, hours before the a nation-wide lockdown came into effect in the country.

The state government invoked Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code and Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 to impose curbs.

On Monday, Chennai Corporation had said 3,000 homes were under quarantine watch in the greater Chennai Corporation limits. The corporation began stamping stickers outside such houses on Tuesday to ensure social distancing.

PTI reports that the stickers said “COVID-19/Do not Visit/Home under quarantine,” with details like name and number of people under watch.

A similar stamping exercise was carried out by local bodies in other districts too, including Thanjavur.

As part of lockdown measures, district borders have been sealed by police and barricades have been placed to prevent movement of vehicles. Only trucks carrying essential commodities and healthcare personnel are allowed.

(With PTI inputs)

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.