With 2,146 new infections, COVID tally nears 7.5 lakh

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu on Tuesday recorded 2,146 new COVID-19 infections, pushing the tally to 7,48,225, while the toll mounted to 11,387 with 25 more fatalities.

Recoveries continued to eclipse new cases with 2,237 people getting discharged during the day, taking the total discharges to 7,18,129, a health department bulletin said. Active cases in the State now stands at 18,709.

Testing of samples was at 72,257 on Tuesday, and 1,07,09,256 so far.

Chennai accounted for 577 of the new infections, while Coimbatore added 196, Tiruvallur 107, Chengalpattu 104 and Salem, which has been recording new cases in triple digits, reported 97. Ramanathapuram recorded the least with three new cases.

The deaths notified on Tuesday included eight from Chennai, three from Tiruvannamalai and two each from Thanjavur and Tirupur. Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Cuddalore, Coimbatore, Karur, Krishnagiri, Namakkal, Tirupattur and Tirunelveli added one each.

Kanchi, Chengalpattu Collectors test positive

Meanwhile, the District Collectors of Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu were admitted to hospitals on Tuesday after testing positive.

Kancheepuram Collector Maheshwari Ravikumar, who had the symptoms, was tested positive on Tuesday and was admitted to RGGGH. Officials who were in contact with her were asked to appear for COVID-19 test and her family members were asked to be quarantined at the collectorate. Maheshwari had taken charge as Kancheepuram Collector only 10 days ago.

Chengalpattu Collector A John Louis also tested positive and was admitted to the King Institute of Preventive Medicine and Research in Guindy. Sources said John Louis underwent the test after not feeling well for the past two days. The Collector had visited Irumbulichery flyover construction site on Saturday, and the officials who were in contact with him have been asked to appear for COVID test.