Tamil Nadu saw a further surge in COVID-19 cases on Saturday with 19,588 persons testing positive, taking the tally to 11,86,344. In the last 24 hours, 147 persons died — 92 at government health facilities and 55 at private hospitals — taking the toll to 14,193.
As many as 17,164 persons were discharged after treatment. This brought up the total to 10,54,746. Now, 1,17,405 persons are under treatment, either at home or at hospitals.
Among the fresh cases were 30 passengers from other States — West Bengal (13); Bihar (6); Andhra Pradesh (6); Karnataka (3); and one each from Madhya Pradesh and Odisha.
In Chennai district, 5,829 persons tested positive and 5,693 were discharged after treatment. The district recorded 47 deaths. At present, 31,475 persons are under treatment.
According to the daily bulletin from the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, 3,39,797 persons have so far been infected and 3,03,531 persons have been discharged.
Chengalpattu followed, with 1,445 fresh infections and the discharge of 1,345 persons. The district reported 11 deaths. In Tiruvallur, 779 persons tested positive and 834 were discharged. It registered 14 deaths. In Kancheepuram district, 332 persons tested positive and 473 were discharged. Six persons died of the infection.
While 33 persons whose death was recorded had no co-morbid conditions, 114 others had pre-existing ailments.
A 26-year-old man from Tiruvallur who was admitted on April 26 to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital tested positive the same day. He died on April 29 of respiratory failure caused by COVID-19 pneumonia.
An 88-year-old woman from Chennai who tested positive on April 25 and suffering from severe hypertension and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo was admitted on April 26 to a private hospital in Chennai with complaints of fever, cough and myalgia for four days. She died of acute respiratory distress syndrome owing to COVID-19 pneumonia on April 29.
New details
The Health Department has started providing details of bed vacancy/occupancy in every district.
Along with the active cases, bed capacity and utilisation at hospitals and at COVID-19 care centres have been included in the bulletin. However, the details pertained to the previous day. On Friday, 49% of the beds at private and government hospitals were vacant, whereas 67% of the beds at COVID-19 care centres at private and government facilities were vacant.
80,355 vaccinated
The number of persons vaccinated in a day fell further on Saturday, with just 80,355 persons inoculated at 4,137 sessions in the State. The number of those getting the vaccine has been falling this week since April 26.
At 3,660 sessions held on Saturday, including 3,097 to administer Covishield and 536 to offer Covaxin, 4,137 health workers; 7,265 frontline workers; 41,948 persons aged 45-59 with co-morbidities; and 27,005 senior citizens were vaccinated.
So far, 59,34,485 persons have been immunised — 7,64,153 healthcare workers; 8,49,283 frontline workers; 22,58,405 beneficiaries aged 45-59; and 20,62,644 senior citizens.
