Tamil Nadu reports 838 new Covid-19 cases; 3 more UK returnees test positive for variant

CHENNAI: For the second consecutive day, Tamila Nadu reported less than 900 Covid-19 cases. The State reported 838 cases and 10 deaths on Monday, taking the tally to 8,21,550 and toll to 12,166. Active cases in the State also fell below 8,000 on the day. After 985 people were discharged, the State had 7,970 active cases.

Three more returnees have tested positive for the new UK variant of the coronavirus, taking the total number of UK returnees testing positive for the UK strain in Tamil Nadu to four, a late night press note from health secretary J Radhakrishnan said.

One man from Chennai had already tested positive for the UK new strain and was undergoing treatment at the exclusive Covid hospital in the King Institute at Guindy. The press note said that 44 samples from UK returnees, who had tested positive for Covid, were sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune. Of the 44, four were positive for the new strain and eight were negative. The results of 32 samples are pending. All the patients are stable and are being treated in separate isolation wards in government hospitals, the note added.

Meanwhile, Chennai reported 229 cases. Chennai's neighbouring districts of Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur reported 43 cases, 27 and 41 cases respectively.
On the day, Perambalur district reported zero cases, and 12 other districts reported cases in single digits.

According to the media bulletin issued by the Directorate of Public Health, there were no new cases among UK returnees. Meanwhile, two passengers from Karnataka and one from Madhya Pradesh who travelled to the State by road have tested positive for Covid.

The State tested 60,502 samples and 60,174 people on the day. One more private lab -- Rivaara Labs Pvt Ltd in Chennai -- has been approved for Covid-19 testing.

Deaths were reported from eight districts. While Chennai and Chengalpattu reported two deaths each, Coimbatore, Erode, Krishnagiri, Salem, Thanjavur and Tirunelveli reported one death each. All the deceased had comorbid conditions, according to the media bulletin.

The youngest among the deceased was a 33-year-old woman with hypothyroidism. She was admitted to Coimbatore Medical College Hospital at 3.48pm on December 22 and tested positive on December 23. She died at 2am on January 3 due to bilateral bronchopneumonia/respiratory failure.