Coronavirus: Tamil Nadu reports 600 new Covid-19 cases, Chennai records 399 of them

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu on Friday reported 600 new Covid-19 cases taking the total number of patients to 6,009, the state health department said. Chennai recorded 399 cases, taking its score past to 3,043.
Three people died across the state in the last 24 hours. The total death toll reached 40 now.
A 78-year-old man with comorbidities from Tambaram, who was admitted to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital on April 30, died at 9pm on Thursday.
Two hours later, a 56-year-old man admitted to GH on May 6, died. Another 83-year-old man with comorbidities died in Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital.
Chennai’s neighbouring districts Tiruvallur recorded 75 cases, Kancheepuram 8 and Chengalpet 26. Cuddalore and Villupuram recorded 34 and 25 cases, respectively.
The increase in numbers was because of aggressive testing, health minister C Vijaya Baskar said. The state tested 13,833 people on Friday.
“We have so far tested more than two lakh people because we have the highest number of testing centres. People admitted to hospitals with severe acute respiratory infections, those reporting with flu-like symptoms and home contacts of people tested positive are all tested as per ICMR guidelines,” he said.
The state was handling the Koyambedu cluster the way it handled the Tablighi Jamaat cluster, he said. “There is no dearth of beds. We have Covid-19 care centres for people who are asymptomatic. We are also allowing patients to go into home quarantine,” he said.