On Saturday, fresh COVID-19 infections inched closer to the 700-mark as 695 persons tested positive in Tamil Nadu. A little over 60% of these new cases were reported in Chennai, its two neighbouring districts of Chengalpattu and Tiruvallur, and Coimbatore.
A total of 271 persons tested positive for the infection in Chennai, taking the city’s tally to 2,38,559.
There were 65 cases in Chengalpattu, 54 in Coimbatore and 40 in Tiruvallur.
Tiruppur and Kancheepuram recorded 27 and 24 cases respectively, while Thanjavur reported 20 cases. While there were no new cases in Kallakurichi, 20 districts recorded fewer than 10 cases each.
The fresh cases that included five returnees — two from Odisha and one each from the UAE, Jharkhand and West Bengal — took the State’s overall tally to 8,58,967. The number of active cases stood at 4,662. The State recorded four more fatalities — two in Chengalpattu and one each in Chennai and the Nilgiris — taking the toll to 12,543.
Among the dead was a 54-year-old man from Chengalpattu, who had coronary artery disease, diabetes and systemic hypertension. He was admitted to the Government Medical College Hospital in the city on March 10. He died the next day due to COVID-19 pneumonia and acute respiratory failure.
Another 512 persons were discharged. Till date, 8,41,762 persons have been discharged after treatment.
A total of 65,295 samples were tested on Saturday. Till date, 1,82,17,281 samples have been tested in the State.
Vaccines administered
Another 85,933 persons received the COVID-19 vaccines in Tamil Nadu on Saturday, with nearly 80% of them getting vaccinated at government centres.
A total of 68,193 persons were inoculated in government COVID-19 vaccination centres and 17,740 persons in private vaccination centres.
Till date, a total of 13,86,379 persons — 4,76,827 healthcare workers, 3,39,310 frontline workers, 2,22,210 persons aged 45 to 59 years with co-morbidities and 3,48,032 senior citizens — have been vaccinated in the State.
Of the 85,933 persons, 30,578 were persons aged above 60 years. Among the remaining were 26,188 persons with co-morbidities and 18,666 frontline workers. Vaccination was held in 3,022 sessions, according to the daily report issued by the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine.