NE NEWS SERVICE
CHENNAI, OCT 3
Tamil Nadu on Saturday recorded 5,622 new COVID-19 cases taking the overall tally to 6,14,507 while the death toll jumped to 9,718 with 65 more people succumbing to the virus, the Health department said.
The number of recoveries climbed to 5,58,534 with the addition of 5,596 today, the bulletin said.
Total number of active cases including those in isolation stood at 46,255.
Of the fresh infections, Chennai reported a further rise in cases with 1,364 contracting the contagion.
After hovering in the 900-plus region for days, the State capital recorded 1,089 cases on September 24, 1,193 cases on September 25, 1,187 cases on September 26.
Since then, the new infections in Chennai have been increasing gradually.
Districts witnessed a sharp hike in the number of new infections with Coimbatore adding 486 fresh cases, followed by Chengalpet (395), Salem (351), Thanjavur (244) and Tiruvallur (290).
Kancheepuram, Cuddalore, Erode, Namakkal, Nilgiris, Thiruvarur, Tiruppur and Vellore clocked over 100 cases today.
Among the 65 deaths, four were without comorbidities which include a 23-year old man from Coimbatore who died due to ”cardio-respiratory failure”.
Three of those who died were nonagenarians while 11 were octogenarians, the bulletin said.
As many as 87,311 samples were tested (RT-PCR) and cumulatively 76,13,999 specimens have been examined so far.
Tamil Nadu does not use Rapid Antigen Diagnostic Tests and all tests are RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction-based).
A new private lab in Kovilpatti was accorded approval to hold COVID-19 testing taking the total number of such facilities operating in the state to 189 (66 government owned and 123 private).
Eight of those who tested positive today (of the 5,622 reported) were returnees from various States, the bulletin said.
