TN reports less than 1,000 new cases of COVID-19, a first since June 2020

For the first time since June 2020, Tamil Nadu reported less than 1,000 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday. The state added 957 new cases and 12 deaths on Tuesday. Currently, 8,747 patients are being treated for COVID-19 across Tamil Nadu.

With the addition of the new cases, the tally has gone up to 8,16,132 according to the data provided by the state department of health and family welfare. The total number of persons died due to coronavirus is 12,092.

The state has been reporting less than 2,000 fresh cases per day since November 13 and it has been hovering around the 1,000 mark since then. Recoveries continued to outnumber the new infections with 1,065 people getting cured, totalling to 7,95,293, a bulletin said. The last time Tamil Nadu reported less than 1,000 cases in a day was on May 30.

A total of 64,768 samples were tested on Tuesday, taking the cumulative total to 1,40,52,537 specimens examined so far. According to the bulletin, six more returnees from the United Kingdom tested positive for the virus, taking the total number of such cases to 19. Eight were from Chennai, three each from Thanjavur and Madurai, two from Nilgiris, one each from Theni, Chengalpet and Nagapattinam.

The state capital logged 286 new COVID-19 infections while the rest were scattered across other districts. Chennai continued to top the list of the cases with 2,24,958 infections of more than 8.16 lakh cases reported in the state. It also topped in the number of fatalities, accounting for 3,997 of the total 12,092 fatalities.

Two districts -- Ariyalur and Perambalur -- reported zero new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday. Coimbatore reported 81 new cases while Thiruvallur and Chengalpattu districts each reported 47 new cases on Tuesday. Tiruppur reported 38 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday. Among the fatalities, Trichy district reported three deaths due to the infection while Chennai and Coimbatore each reported two deaths.