The number of COVID-19 cases in Tamil Nadu crossed the 14,000-mark after 786 persons tested positive on Friday. The State reported four deaths, taking the toll to 98.
Chennai’s tally climbed to 9,364, with 569 testing positive. As many as 846 persons were discharged. Of the 14,753* cases, 7,128 persons have recovered from COVID-19, taking the recovery rate to 48%. Tamil Nadu now has a total of 7,524 active cases.
Erode, which recorded a case after 37 days, is no longer a green zone.
A health official said that the spike in cases continued in Chennai due to multiple clusters in four zones of Tondiarpet, Royapuram, Thiru Vi Ka Nagar and Kodambakkam.
“Find, test, isolate and quarantine strategies should be followed properly. Identification of symptomatic patients should be done. Special care should be provided to vulnerable groups,” he said.
Among the four persons who died was an 81-year-old man from Chennai. He was referred from a private hospital to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital on May 20. He died on Friday due to respiratory failure, pneumonia, and acute respiratory distress. A 51-year-old man died in Chennai, while a 70-year-old man died at the Government Theni Medical College Hospital. A 72-year-old man died at the Government Medical College Hospital, Chengalpattu.
The three neighbouring districts of Chennai — Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur — continued to report COVID-19 cases. With 40 new cases, Chengalpattu’s tally climbed to 695, while Tiruvallur added 39 new cases, taking its total count to 675. Kancheepuram reported 13 new cases.
There were seven cases in Ramanathapuram, six in Thoothukudi, four each in Theni and Tiruchi, two each in Pudukottai, Tiruvannamalai and Vellore, and one each in Erode, Kallakurichi, Krishnagiri, Madurai, Ranipet and Tirunelveli.
Of the fresh cases, 92 were reported among persons who returned from abroad and other States. A person who returned from the Philippines and initially tested negative turned positive for COVID-19 during Friday’s exit test. A large number of persons returning from Maharashtra continued to test positive for COVID-19. On Friday, 66 Maharashtra returnees, who were screened at checkposts in seven districts, tested positive. Of this, 29 tested positive in Madurai, 17 in Tirunelveli and 14 in Virudhunagar.
Thirteen persons who returned from Delhi tested positive in Virudhunagar and Madurai. Six persons who returned from West Bengal, two from Andhra Pradesh and one each from Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Telangana also tested positive in various districts.
Till date, 62 persons who returned from other countries have tested positive for COVID-19. This included 26, who initially tested negative, and turned positive during the exit screening after seven days of quarantine.
A three-month-old baby and a five-month-old baby were among the 46 children below 12 years who tested positive. Another 93 persons aged above 60 also tested positive.
So far, a total of 3,85,185 samples have been tested in the State. This includes the day’s samples of 12,653. Testing of 503 samples are under process.
One more private laboratory was approved — Lifecell International Private Ltd, Chennai — was approved. The State now has 41 testing facilities in the government sector and 26 in the private sector.
(*This is inclusive of two deaths cross-notified to other States and one patient who died after testing negative for the infection)
