With 5,875 fresh cases reported on Sunday, the number of active cases in Tamil Nadu (including those in isolation) has risen to 56,998. The State’s overall case tally stands at 2,57,613.

As many as 5,517 persons were discharged after treatment, taking the total figure to 1,96,483.

Chennai and neighbouring districts continued to report a high number of cases. The city recorded 1,065 fresh cases. As many as 12,190 persons, including those under home quarantine, are undergoing treatment. As many as 1,303 persons were discharged on Sunday. The city’s overall case count stands at 1,01,951.

In Chengalpattu, 446 people tested positive. In Kancheepuram, 393 persons were diagnosed with the infection. Tiruvallur reported 317 fresh cases. Theni recorded 309 cases and Virudhunagar 337.

Most deaths in Chennai

Of the 98 persons whose deaths were recorded in the medical bulletin released by the Directorate of Public Health, eight had no co-morbidites. While 23 persons died of the infection at private hospitals, the rest died at government institutions. The total number of lives lost to COVID-19 in the State so far stands at 4,132.

Chennai recorded the highest number of deaths, at 17, followed by Tiruvallur district, where eight persons died. In Coimbatore, seven persons died of the infection. The southern districts of Madurai, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli and Virudhunagar recorded six deaths each.

An 80-year-old man from Chennai, who was admitted to a private hospital on July 9 with complaints of fever and breathing difficulty for seven days, died on Saturday evening. Doctors said he had developed acute respiratory distress syndrome and septic shock owing to COVID-19.

A 97-year-old woman from Kancheepuram, who was hypertensive and had psychiatric disorder, was admitted to a private hospital in the city on July 18 with complaints of fever for seven days and breathing difficulty for two days. She died on Saturday morning owing to pneumonia caused by the infection.

A 23-year-old male, who suffered from a chronic kidney disease, was admitted on Friday evening to the Government Medical College at Omandurar government estate. He died on the same day. The samples lifted from him returned positive for the infection on Saturday.

According to the Health Department, 27,79,062 samples have been tested so far.

On Sunday, officials announced that a private laboratory at the Melmaruvathur Adhiparasakthi Institute of Medical Sciences, Chengalpattu, had been approved for COVID-19 testing.