TN records 1,557 new COVID-19 cases

Tamil Nadu logged 1,557 new COVID-19 cases, taking the overall infection count to 7,73,176,while 17 more fatalities pushed the death toll to 11,639, the health department said on Tuesday.

Recoveries continued to eclipse new infections with 1,910 people walking out of health care facilities, taking the overall tally to 7,49,662 till date, a bulletin said.

Active cases in the State stood at 11,875.

Tamil Nadu has been recording below 2,000 cases since November 13.

Two districts, including the State capital, logged new cases in triple digits with Chennai adding 469 cases and Coimbatore 146 while the restwere scattered across other districts.

Six districts added new COVID-19 cases in single digits,whilePerambalur district reported no fresh infections today and there was only one active case.

Chennai accounted for a total 2,12,970 cases of the State's 7.73 lakh plus infections.

Testing of samples stood at 67,271 with a cumulative 1,16,73,521 specimens getting examined so far.

Tamil Nadu does not use Rapid Antigen Diagnostic Tests (RADT) and all tests are RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction based).

Of the 17 fatalities reported in the State, seven succumbed to the virus in private hospitals while 10 in government.

Of the 11,639 death toll in the State, Chennai accounted for 3,829.

Six of those who tested positive for the virus were returnees from various destinations, the bulletin said.