Tamil Nadu Covid-19 tally crosses 1.7 lakh, new single-day high of 4,979 cases reported

Tamil Nadu on Sunday reported a new single-day high of 4,979 fresh Covid-19 cases as the overall tally crossed 1.70 lakh while 78 fatalities propelled the death toll to 2,481.

As many as 52,993 Covid-19 samples were tested, the highest so far in a day, and the cumulative tests so far touched 19,32,492, a Health department bulletin said.

Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner G Prakash said the city civic body was the first in the country to have conducted five lakh RT-PCR tests.

Till July 18 from March, five lakh tests were conducted, he said adding sample testing has been increased to 13,000 per day from about 4,500 (in recent times) in the Corporation areas.

Of the dead were two men aged 22 and 37 and two 38-year-old women and in total 75 had co-morbidities and 2,481 people have so far succumbed to the virus in Tamil Nadu.

CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL COVERAGE ONLY ON DH

Chennai and nearby Tiruvallur accounted for 1,254 and 405 cases respectively and the rest of the fresh infections were spread across the State.

Tamil Nadu's overall tally stood at 1,70,693 and the state capital's share was 85,859.

As many as 4,059 patients were discharged from various hospitals following treatment and cumulatively 1,17,915 people have got cured and active cases mounted to 50,294.

The number of labs for Covid-19 test increased to 112 with the addition of a government facility in Tiruvannamalai district.

There are 57 labs in government and 55 in the private sector.