With 1,875 fresh COVID-19 cases, Tamil Nadu’s overall tally rose to 38,716* on Thursday.

The death toll increased to 349, as 23 more fatalities were reported. As many as 1,372 patients were discharged from hospitals, taking the total number of recoveries to 20,705.

Chennai recorded an all-time high of 1,407 cases in a single day. With this, the city’s overall case count reached 27,398.

The State capital accounts for 279 of the deaths reported in Tamil Nadu so far.

A total of 13,808 persons have been discharged so far, while 13,310 persons are undergoing treatment in the city.

Cases continued to rise in Chengalpattu. The 127 fresh cases reported on Thursday took the district’s tally to 2,444.

Tiruvallur reported 72 fresh cases, while Kancheepuram, Madurai and Tiruvannamalai recorded 19 cases each. There were 18 cases in Cuddalore, 17 in Ranipet and 15 each in Nagapattinam and Tiruvarur.

Reporting of deaths

As many as 21 of the 23 deaths occurred in government hospitals.

Usually, deaths that had occurred in the last 24 to 48 hours are included in the Health Department’s daily bulletin.

However, Thursday’s bulletin notified the deaths of two persons that had occurred earlier, including one who had died last month.

One of them, a 50-year-old man from Tiruvallur, was admitted to the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital on May 26.

A diabetic, he died on May 28 due to factors including uncontrolled hyperglycaemia, acute encephalopathy, bronchopneumonia and respiratory failure.

The second case was a 68-year-old man from Chennai, who was admitted to the Southern Railway Headquarters Hospital, Perambur, on June 4 and died on June 8. He died due to pneumonia, diabetes, systemic hypertension and chronic kidney disease.

Four of the deceased were in their 40s.

Active cases

The total number of active cases in the State stood at 17,659. As many as 16,829 samples were tested, taking the total figure to 6,55,675.

As many as 6,25,312 individuals have been tested till date.

Returnee patients

Thirty-eight persons who had returned from abroad and from other States tested positive for COVID-19. They included five persons from Kuwait, three from the United Arab Emirates and two from Saudi Arabia.

Two persons who had returned by ship from Maldives tested positive, as did 12 persons who had returned from West Bengal by road/trains.

A total of 1,986 persons who had returned to the State on flights, trains and ships and by road have tested positive for COVID-19 so far.

(*This is inclusive of two deaths cross-notified to other States and one patient who died after testing negative for the infection)