After 38 days, the number of persons testing positive for COVID-19 in a day dropped below the 3,000-mark in Tamil Nadu on Saturday. The State’s active caseload fell below 50,000.
A total of 2,812 persons tested positive in the State. January 4 was the last time the State reported less than 3,000 cases (2,731 infections).
Thereafter daily infections steadily rose. In the current wave, the active cases breached the 50,000-mark on January 9 (51,335). The number of patients under treatment dipped to 47,643.
The fresh cases continued to fall in Chennai. As many as 546 persons tested positive in the city, taking the tally to 7,46,398. Coimbatore followed with 523 cases, while there were 238 cases in Chengalpattu.
Tiruppur recorded 169 cases. There were 152 cases in Erode, 146 in Salem and 123 in Tiruvallur. So far, the State has recorded 34,33,966 cases.
17 deaths
A total of 17 persons succumbed to the infection, taking the toll to 37,904.
Chennai recorded only a single death, while there were three deaths in Coimbatore.
As many as 11,154 persons were discharged after treatment. A total of 1,05,822 samples were tested.
Mega camp
At the end of the 22nd mega vaccination camp held on Saturday, the State’s first dose coverage in the above 18 years population reached 91.17%, while the second dose coverage stood at 71.32%.
A total of 7,36,708 persons aged above 15 were vaccinated — 1,39,587 persons received the first dose, 5,69,744 persons received the second dose and 27,377 persons received the precaution dose, according to a press release. This took the overall coverage of government vaccination centres to 9,53,05,566.
Health Minister Ma. Subramanian, who inspected a camp at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai, said that of the total 12,525 village panchayats in the State, 2,792 village panchayats had achieved 100% first dose coverage. Of the 121 municipalities, 24 had achieved 100% first dose coverage, a press release said.
