Tamil Nadu witnessed a fresh spike in COVID-19 cases with its daily count going past the 5,000-mark on Friday. A total of 5,441 people tested positive for the infection, and 23 persons died in the State.
The State’s daily COVID-19 count first breached the 5,000-mark on July 22 last year when it recorded 5,849 cases. The cases dropped below 5,000 a day on October 12, 2020.
On Friday, the number of people testing positive jumped to 5,441, an increase of over 1,000 from the previous day. The cases rose significantly in Chennai, with 1,752 people testing positive and 10 persons succumbing to the infection in the city. This pushed the city’s tally to 2,61,072, and the death toll to 4,302.
Both Chengalpattu and Coimbatore recorded 400-plus cases — 465 people tested positive in Chengalpattu and 473 in Coimbatore district. Tiruchi’s daily count crossed 200 as 213 people tested positive for the infection. Ten other districts had 100-plus cases — Tiruvallur (195), Kancheepuram (153), Tiruppur (148), Cuddalore (148), Thanjavur (144), Madurai (142), Salem (126), Nagapattinam (124), Tirunelveli (114) and Vellore (109).
Thirty-two returnees were among those who tested positive. Till date, a total of 9,20,827 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu. The 23 fatalities took the State’s toll to 12,863. This included two persons in their 40s who did not have co-morbidities.
A 44-year-old man from Tiruvallur, who was admitted to a private hospital in Chennai with complaints of fever, cough and difficulty in breathing for three days, died within 2.5 hours of admission on April 8 due to acute respiratory distress syndrome and COVID-19 pneumonia. He tested positive for COVID-19 on April 7.
A 42-year-old man from Virudhunagar was admitted to the Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai on April 6. He died the next day due to COVID-19 pneumonia and respiratory failure. Five persons who were in their 50s were among those who succumbed to the infection.
The fresh cases pushed the active caseload to 33,659, with Chennai’s count rising to 12,861. Coimbatore and Chengalpattu had 3,389 and 3,083 patients respectively. A total of 1,890 people were discharged.
In the last 24 hours, 88,135 samples were tested. To date, 2,03,47,042 samples have been tested in the State. The State’s overall count crossed the two crore-mark — 2,00,17,941 people tested to date.
Over a lakh inoculated
The day’s vaccination coverage was over a lakh — 1,18,271 people, including 61,922 persons aged between 45 and 60 with co-morbidities and 46,407 senior citizens, received the vaccines in the State.
With this, the overall coverage stood at 36,05,307.
According to a daily report issued by the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, a total of 2,956 healthcare workers, 5,844 frontline staff, 53,385 persons aged 45-59 with co-morbidities and 40,671 senior citizens received Covishield and 662 healthcare workers, 480 frontline staff, 8,537 persons with co-morbidities and 5,736 senior citizens received Covaxin.
Vaccination was held in 4,450 sessions in the State.