Tamil Nadu’s COVID-19 case tally increased to 2,20,716 on Monday, with 6,993 more persons testing positive for the infection.
At 1,138, Chennai accounted for less than 20% of the fresh cases. A majority of the fresh infections were reported from the rest of T.N.
The State’s daily tally exceeded 6,000 for the fifth consecutive day, with Monday marking an all-time high. As of date, 54,896 persons are undergoing treatment.
As many as 5,723 persons were discharged, taking the total figure to 1,62,249. Another 77 deaths (50 at government hospitals and 27 at private hospitals) were recorded in the bulletin issued by the Health Department. This took the toll to 3,571.
As Chennai’s overall tally surpassed 95,000 cases, Madurai became the fourth district to have more than 10,000 cases. Chengalpattu and Tiruvallur account for 12,717 and 12,320 cases, respectively. The share of districts in the fresh cases has been on the rise in the past few weeks. On Monday, Tiruvallur reported 474 cases and Chengalpattu 448. Kancheepuram had 362 cases, while Thoothukudi reported 349 infections. In Virudhunagar, 338 persons tested positive, and Coimbatore reported 313 cases.
Six districts reported more than 200 cases each: Theni-280, Ranipet-273, Tiruvannamalai-262, Madurai-249, Kanniyakumari-239 and Kallakurichi-238. Nine other districts reported over 100 cases each. These included Salem-190, Tiruchi-188, Tirunelveli-185 and Vellore-184.
Returnees’ count
Besides the indigenous cases, 37 persons, who returned from abroad and other States, tested positive.
Of the 77 deaths, 21 died in Chennai. Chengalpattu, Madurai, Tiruvallur, Vellore and Virudhunagar districts recorded six deaths each. Five of them were aged between 25 and 39. Among them was a 26-year-old man from Chennai. He had anaemia and tested positive on July 9 at a private medical college. He was admitted to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital on July 23 and died on July 26 owing to anaemia, hypernatremic encephalopathy, COVID-19 pneumonia and acute necrotising pancreatitis.
A 31-year-old man with hypertension was admitted to the RGGGH on July 18. He tested positive on July 3. He died on July 26 owing to hypertension, hypernatremic encephalopathy, leg hygroma, central pontine myelinolysis, COVID-19 pneumonia and respiratory failure. A 31-year-old man from Tiruvallur who had diabetes and systemic hypertension also succumbed to the infection at the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital on July 26. He died of respiratory failure, bronchopneumonia, acute kidney injury and COVID-19.
The State tested 63,250 samples in the last 24 hours. A private laboratory — Huma Specialists Hospital and Research Centre, Chennai — was approved for testing.
