The number of fresh cases of COVID-19 continued to stay above the 6,000-mark in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday, as 6,426 more persons tested positive for the disease. This took the State’s overall case tally to 2,34,114, of which 57,490 were active cases.

Another 82 persons, including two women in their twenties, died in the State, taking the toll to 3,741.

A 22-year-old woman (ninth day postnatal mother) died at the Government Headquarters Hospital, Ariyalur, within an hour of admission on July 27. She had anaemia and was admitted with complaints of difficulty in breathing for a day. Her death was due to COVID-19 pneumonia and cardiorespiratory arrest, according to the bulletin issued by the Health Department.

The second woman — a 20-year-old from Nagapattinam — was admitted to the Tiruvarur Medical College Hospital on July 25. She died on July 27 owing to COVID-19 pneumonia and chronic kidney disease.

The number of persons discharged after treatment increased to 1,72,883, with the discharge of 5,927 on Wednesday. Of these, 1,234 persons were discharged from hospitals in Chennai.

Chennai’s count

Chennai continued to account for less than 20% of the fresh cases reported in the State. With 1,117 cases, the city’s tally increased to 97,575, of which 12,735 were under treatment.

However, Chengalpattu saw a surge in cases, with 540 persons testing positive.

Five districts had more than 300 cases each: Tiruvallur-382, Tirunelveli- 379, Kancheepuram-373, Virudhunagar-370 and Thoothukudi-316.

Districts with more than 200 cases each are Coimbatore-289, Madurai-225 and Kanyakumari-202. Eleven districts, including Cuddalore, Ranipet, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Tiruchi and Vellore, had more than 100 cases each. Thirty-three returnees tested positive in the State.

Of the 82 deaths (54 at government hospitals and 28 at private hospitals), 75 persons had co-morbid conditions. While Chennai accounted for 21 of these deaths, nine persons died in Madurai and six in Dindigul.

Ten persons in their 40s succumbed to the infection, while two persons in their 30s also died. These included a 37-year-old man from Kancheepuram, who had no co-morbidities. He had complaints of fever for eight days and cough and difficulty in breathing for three days and was admitted to the Government Headquarters Hospital, Kancheepuram, on July 20. He died on July 27 owing to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome, respiratory failure and COVID-19 pneumonia.

A 40-year-old man, with no co-morbidities, died on July 28 at the same hospital owing to acute respiratory distress syndrome and COVID-19 pneumonia.

The total number of samples tested in the State so far has crossed 25 lakh. In the last 24 hours, 60,794 samples were tested, taking the total to 25,36,660.

New high in U.T.

In a new single-day high, the Union Territory of Puducherry recorded 166 admissions on Wednesday.

With 143 more patients in home quarantine, the active cases stood at 1,112 and the cumulative total aggregated 3,171 cases.

The new cases emerged from the testing of 837 samples, showing an infection rate of 19.8%. Puducherry accounted for 154 of the new admissions and Karaikal 12, while no new cases were added in the Yanam and Mahe enclaves.

The total active cases aggregated 1,028 in Puducherry, 36 in Karaikal, 47 in Yanam and one in Mahe.