Tamil Nadu records all-time high of Covid-19 cases, fatalities

Tamil Nadu on Saturday reported its highest single-day spike in Covid-19 infections as well as the number of daily deaths, with the total infection count crossing 1.65 lakh. As many as 4,807 new positive cases of Coronavirus were reported from different parts of the state on Saturday, even as over 3,049 people were discharged after recovery.

The state saw 88 fatalities, the highest single day toll so far, pushing the death toll to 2,403, a health department bulletin said.

With the addition of the new Covid-19 cases, the infection count has gone up to 1,65,714.

Today's recoveries of 3,049 pushed those discharged after treatment to 1,13,856, the bulletin said.

Active cases stood at 49,452.

Due to ramped up testing, as many as 48,195 samples were examined, pushing the cumulative tally to 18,79,499 , the bulletin said.

Chennai reported 1,219 fresh Covid-19 infections. Its overall numbers clocked 84,598 as of Saturday.

According to the bulletin, six of the 88 deceased were persons with "no comorbidities" and the victims included a 31-year-old man from the city who died of 'acute respiratory failure'.

Among comorbid cases was a 29-year-old woman from Salem, suffering from systemic hypertension, and she died due to respiratory failure, the bulletin said.

As many as 15 octogenarians were among those who succumbed to the virus.

Besides Chennai's 1,219 new infections on Saturday, Tiruvallur (370) and Chengalpet with 323 new cases too reported significantly high numbers.

Vellore recorded 191, Madurai 185, Thanjavur 181, Virudhunagar 179, Sivaganga 170, Tuticorin 160, Tirunelveli 155, Kanyakumari and Theni 144 each, Tiruchirappalli 124, Coimbatore 118, Ranipet 109 cases and Dindigul 104.

Among the new Covid-19 cases reported today, 76 had returned from various domestic and overseas locations.

A government run and a private laboratory each have received approval to conduct testing of samples, taking the number of facilities operating in the state to 111, the bulletin said.