China-returned 37-year-old Tamil Nadu businessman tests positive for Covid-19

His samples were sent to State Public Health Laboratory for whole genome sequencing to ascertain whether he was infected with the new fast-spreading variant BF.7, which is the main cause of the spike in cases in several countries, including China.

The businessman, who reached his native Elampillai village in Salem district via car, is under home quarantine and the Health Department officials are monitoring him.

He was involved in the trading business in China for the last 13 years, and returned to India in view of the spike in Covid-19 cases in China.

This is the third case of international passengers from China testing positive for Covid-19 in Tamil Nadu, after a mother and her six-year-old daughter tested positive at the Madurai international airport and were under home quarantine in their native Virudhunagar district.

Two passengers, who returned from Dubai and Cambodia to Chennai on Wednesday also tested positive.

“Those coming from China, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea are mandatorily screened for the virus, as per the instruction of Chief Minister MK Stalin. Passengers who arrive from other destinations are subjected to two percent random testing,” Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian said on Wednesday.

The government has already activated a mass fever-screening system at the Chennai, Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, and Coimbatore airports for early detection of the virus, he said.

(With PTI inputs)