With 266 testing positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, the number of people who contracted the novel coronavirus infection in Tamil Nadu so far has crossed the 3,000-mark. As many as 203 of the new patients were from Chennai, taking the city’s tally to 1,458. Villupuram district accounted for 33 patients.
At present, 1,611 persons in the State are under treatment at various facilities. This includes 1,190 in Chennai, where 250 patients have been discharged.
A 44-year-old man died of the infection at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital around 2.15 p.m. on Sunday.
According to hospital authorities, he was registered for treatment for leukaemia.
He had been admitted to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital and on April 30, after his condition turned serious, he was sent to Chennai.
RGGGH Dean R. Jayanthi said he was brought in an 108 ambulance on May 1. He had fever and was subjected to test for the COVID-19 infection. He tested positive and died within two days.
With this, the number of deaths due to the infection has risen to 30 in the State.
On the source of his infection, she said it was possible that the patient contracted it while in Coimbatore.
The other districts to report positive cases were Cuddalore (9), Kallakurichi (6), and Coimbatore (4). Ariyalur, Madurai, Tenkasi and Tiruvallur each reported two cases, and Tiruvannamalai, Kanniyakumari and Chengalpattu reported one positive case each.
Five children, including one aged three, in Chennai, tested positive for the infection. The children acquired the infection through contact with an infected person. In the Villupuram cluster included two girls aged three and eight years who acquired the infection through contact with an infected person.
On Sunday 38 patients were discharged, taking the total to 1,379 patients, who had recovered from the infection. As many as 2,362 persons are in isolation ward.
The bulletin from the Directorate of Public Health stated that as of Sunday a total of 3,023* positive cases had been recorded.
The Health Department has added two laboratories to conduct the tests, one in the Government district headquarters hospital in Ramanathapuram and the other at Dr. Rela Institute in Chennai. Already 35 government and 14 private laboratories are functioning.
Of the 1,50,107 samples that were picked up as many as 1,45,520 tested negative and the testing of 1,564 samples is under process. A total of 9,391 are repeat samples. As on date 37,206 are under home quarantine and 40 are quarantined in government facilities.
(*This is inclusive of two deaths that were cross notified to other states and one patient who died after turning negative for the infection.)