After reporting 3,000-plus COVID-19 cases daily for the past week, Tamil Nadu, for the first time, recorded over 4,000 cases on Thursday. A total of 4,343 persons tested positive for COVID-19, taking the State’s tally to 98,392*.
Noting that the State’s recovery rate was 57%, Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar said that a total of 56,021 persons had been discharged after treatment till now. This included 3,095 persons discharged on Thursday.
Another 57 persons died, taking the State’s toll to 1,321. Of the fresh cases, Chennai accounted for 2,027 cases. With this, the city’s tally rose to 62,598. However, of the total 4,270 indigenous cases, the rest of the State reported more cases than the city. The number of cases continued to stay high in Madurai. The district recorded 273 cases, taking its tally to 3,133. Eight other districts — Chengalpattu, Kallakurichi, Kancheepuram, Ramanathapuram, Ranipet, Tiruvallur, Tiruvannamalai and Vellore — saw over 100 cases each.
Replying to suggestions and questions put forth by Leader of the Opposition M.K. Stalin, the Minister said that there was no community transmission in Tamil Nadu. “It is the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) that should declare whether there is community transmission or not. The ICMR has already taken up various studies and has said that there is no community transmission in Tamil Nadu till now,” he said.
He added that the government had already made arrangements to provide reusable masks through ration shops. A tender was floated by the Revenue Department and supply would start soon, he added. “An order to supply 50 lakh masks to residents of slums in Chennai has already been issued. Of this, 46 lakh masks have been distributed,” he said.
Special pay
Work to issue an order granting a special one-month pay for doctors and nurses was under way, he added.
The Minister said that 75,000 beds were ready across the State, while Chennai alone has 17,500 beds. Government medical college hospitals had 5,000 beds and their capacity was being increased. He added that 93% of testing kits were purchased through State funds.
Of the 57 persons who died, 12 had no co-morbidites. This included a 31-year-old woman who died after delivery. Her sample was lifted at the Government Kasturba Gandhi Hospital for Women and Children and returned positive for COVID-19. Doctors said that she had fever for nearly 10 days. “She was near full term and delivered a baby. Her platelet count dropped, and CT scan showed extreme lung involvement. She was put on a ventilator and shifted to RGGGH,” a senior doctor said. She died at RGGGH on July 1 due to cardiopulmonary arrest, COVID-19 pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome and atonic postpartum haemorrhage.
A 29-year-old man who was admitted to the Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital on June 18, died on July 1, due to viral pneumonia and COVID-19. Two persons were declared brought dead to the Government Royapettah Hospital. An unknown 60-year-old man was brought dead on June 23, and his swab returned positive for COVID-19. The death was due to viral pneumonia and COVID-19. A 55-year-old woman with tuberculosis was brought dead on June 30, and her swab returned positive for COVID-19.
Apart from the indigenous cases, 73 persons who returned from other States and countries tested positive for COVID-19. This included 35 people from Karnataka.
Except Ariyalur and Namakkal, the remaining 35 districts reported new cases. Cases spiked in districts such as Kallakurichi, Ranipet and Tiruvannamalai. There were 171 cases in Chengalpattu, 167 in Tiruvannamalai, 164 in Tiruvallur, 137 in Vellore, 133 in Kallakurichi, 127 in Ranipet, 112 in Kancheepuram and 108 in Ramanathapuram.
Apart from these districts, Dindigul had 94 cases, Salem 77, Virudhunagar 76, Thoothukudi 70 and Theni 64. With the fresh cases, the tally surpassed the 1,000-mark in Kallakurichi, Ramanathapuram, Salem and Thoothukudi districts.
In the last 24 hours, 33,488 samples were tested in the State. This took the total number of samples tested so far to 12,35,692.
Till now, a total of 11,79,649 individuals have been tested in the State.
(* This is inclusive of two deaths cross-notified to other States and one patient who died after testing negative for the infection)
