No death due to COVID-19 was reported in Chennai on Monday, but the district reported 206 fresh cases, even as 1,661 people tested positive for the infection across Tamil Nadu, pushing up the overall case tally to 26,74,041.
As many as 16,984 people are under treatment, either at home or in healthcare facilities, according to the daily bulletin of the Directorate of Public Health.
Coimbatore (211) and Chennai (206) continued to report the highest number of fresh cases. Erode (117) and Chengalpattu (111) followed them. Only three districts reported fresh cases in single digits: Ramanathapuram and Tenkasi reported five cases each and Theni registered eight cases.
The bulletin said the discharge of 1,623 people after treatment pushed up the total number of recovered patients to 25,94,697.
In Chennai, 5,47,901 people have been infected so far, 5,37,409 people have been discharged and 8,449 people have died. At present, 2,043 people are under treatment.
As many as 23 more persons died (five at private hospitals and 18 at government hospitals), taking the toll to 35,360.
Thanjavur recorded the highest number of deaths, five, and Nagapattinam reported four deaths.
A 41-year-old man from Salem died on the day of admission at the Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital on September 18. He tested positive on September 12. The hospital cited COVID-19 pneumonia as the cause of death. The oldest person to die was an 84-year-old man. He was admitted to the Chengalpattu Medical College Hospital on September 16 after testing positive two days earlier. He died of COVID-19 pneumonia on September 18.
About 56% of the people in the State have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, Health Minister Ma. Subramanian said. As of date, over 4.37 crore doses have been administered in the State.
Speaking in Tiruvallur on Monday, the Minister said vaccination was not taken up on Monday as the government had exhausted its stock of vaccines. The State received one lakh doses of Covaxin in the afternoon, and the vaccination drive would be taken up on Tuesday.
The scheme of providing 25% vaccines to private healthcare facilities had failed as many were hesitant to pay exorbitant sums. The Chief Minister had appealed to the Union government to increase vaccine procurement to 90% from 75% for the free vaccination drive through the government. But the Union government had not fulfilled his wish.
