The state of Tamil Nadu has, on Monday, reported with three new cases positive for the Coronavirus (COVID-19) amid the stringent measures, restrictions, and mechanisms that have been put in place by the state government and these three cases had contributed to increasing the total numbers of affected patients to 12 in the state. 

The cases have been reported hours ahead of the statewide curfew that would be imposed from 6 pm on Tuesday and the curfew would be in effect till March 31st, 2020 with the view of curbing the spread of the virus, which has become a global pandemic. According to state health minister Vijayabaskar, the three patients have been identified as a 25-year-old man from Chennai, a 48-year-old from Tirupur, and a 54-year-old man from Madurai.

#coronaupdate: 3 new #COVID19 positive cases in TN. 25 Y M Purasaivakkam, London return at #RGGH. 48 Y M Tiruppur,London return at #ESI Hosp. 54 Y M,MDU - Annanagar at #Rajaji Hosp. All 3 in isolation & treatment. @MoHFW_INDIA @CMOTamilNadu #Vijayabaskar

— Dr C Vijayabaskar (@Vijayabaskarofl) March 23, 2020

Of these three patients, the men from Chennai and Tirupur had a travel history and they recently returned from London while the third patient from Madurai has no travel history and the numbers have now climbed to 12. While addressing the reporters on Monday, Health Minister Vijayabaskar stated that the patient in Madurai already has comorbidities, which is the presence of one or more additional conditions. The patient has been diagnosed with cardiac disease, diabetes, and hypertension.

The minister said that the presence of comorbidities adds more risk to the patient and he is not identified to have any international or interstate travels and the health department is currently in the process of ascertaining whether he had direct contact with the people who had travel histories. According to his tweet, the 25-year-old patient has been quarantined and getting treated in Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai and the 48-year-old from Tirupur has been treated at the ESI hospital in the district while the 54-year-old man has been admitted to Rajaji Hospital in Madurai. All three of them have been isolated, the minister added.

According to the Health Minister, 11,519 people have been in home quarantine in the state as of Monday and these people include those who have returned from the virus-hit states and countries. The state has tested 552 people for the pandemic and 503 were tested negative while 12 tested positive whereas the results for 37 tests are yet to arrive. Of those 12 positive cases, one has been recovered and discharged from the hospital while the rest have been quarantined and getting treated across the state.

The recent reports say that the health of the man in Madurai who tested positive has been deteriorating and remains critical. The state government has, on Monday, imposed curfew under section 144 and the curfew would come to effect from 6 pm on Tuesday and the embargo would also close the borders of the districts till March 31st to contain and combat the spread of the virus.