As many as 26 people have succumbed to the virus, aggregating to 34,102 fatalities overall, a medical bulletin said. 

Recoveries outnumbered new infections with 2,156 people getting recovered in the last 24 hours, aggregating to 25,06,961 leaving 20,524 active infections. 

Five districts, including the state capital, constituted the majority of the new infections. 

Coimbatore and Chennai clocked 230 and 175 cases, respectively while Chengalpet added 133, Erode (180) and Thanjavur (126). 

A total of 1,58,646 samples were tested in the last 24 hours, pushing the cumulative number of specimens examined to 3,76,04,794 till date, the bulletin said. 

As many as 32 districts reported new cases in double digits, while there were no fresh deaths in 23 districts including in the state capital. 

Among the 26 fatalities, 20 succumbed to the virus in government hospitals while six died in private healthcare facilities. Four of the deceased were without comorbidity or pre-existing illness. 

Two individuals who tested positive include returnees from Andhra Pradesh, the bulletin said. 

Earlier in the day, in view of increasing new infections in Kerala, the Tamil Nadu government made it mandatory for people coming from the neighbouring state, to carry a negative RT-PCR test report or a vaccination certificate of two doses from August 5. 

"From August 5, concerned district administrations have been directed to intensify surveillance and allow people from Kerala to enter the state only if they possess a RT-PCR negativity certificate," Medical and Family Welfare Minister Ma Subramanian told reporters in Chennai.