T.N. COVID-19 case tally breaches five-lakh mark

It reports 5,693 fresh cases, 74 deaths

Tamil Nadu crossed the five-lakh mark on Sunday, with 5,693 people testing positive for COVID-19. The State’s overall case tally stood at 5,02,759. The State recorded the first case on March 7, but August and September saw a rapid increase.

A total of 5,717 persons were discharged after treatment from various health facilities. The State has 47,012 active cases. The State also recorded 74 deaths (39 at private hospitals and 35 at government hospitals), taking the toll to 8,381.

Chennai reported 994 fresh cases. As many as 1,228 persons were discharged. The city reported 17 deaths, taking its toll to 2,976. The total number of positive cases stands at 1,48,584 in the city. While 1,35,215 persons have been discharged, the city has 10,393 active cases, according to public health officials.

Among the western districts, Coimbatore reported 490 cases and Salem 309. It also saw 10 people lose their lives to the infection on Sunday. In Tiruppur, 291 persons tested positive. Among the northern districts, Tiruvallur recorded 300 fresh cases and Chengalpattu 299.

In 16 districts, the number of fresh cases was below hundred. Districts such as Ariyalur, Ramanathapuram, Perambalur and Tenkasi reported less than 30 cases.

Eight of the 74 people whose deaths were recorded on Sunday had no co-morbid conditions, the Directorate of Public Health said in its bulletin.

Health officials have attributed the death of a 35-year-old man from Salem to the infection. He was admitted to a private hospital on September 5 with complaints of cough. His RT-PCR test returned positive the next day. He died on September 10.

A 47-year-old man from Chennai, who tested positive on September 5 and was admitted to a private hospital the same day with complaints of fever for three days and cough for a day, died on September 12. His death was due to acute respiratory distress syndrome/COVID-19 pneumonia.

A 63-year-old man from Coimbatore, who tested positive on August 30, a day after he was admitted to a private hospital with complaints of fever and cough for two days, died on Sunday morning owing to COVID-19 pneumonia.