Tamil Nadu logs 73 new infections, zero fatalities

Chennai: Tamil Nadu on Thursday saw 73 new COVID-19 infections, pushing the caseload to 34,53,829 while the death toll remained unchanged at 38,025 with nil fatalities being recorded in the last 24 hours, the Health Department said.

Recoveries reached 34,15,316 with 32 more people getting discharged in the last 24 hours, leaving 488 active infections, a bulletin said.

Meanwhile, following the cluster of COVID-19 positive cases detected on the campus of the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) last week, 26 more people tested positive totalling 171 confirmed cases on the campus, sources in the government said.

Most of the new cases were from Chennai 44, Chengalpet 7, Tiruvallur 3 and Coimbatore, Madurai, Tirunelveli and Tiruchirappalli recorded two each. Kanyakumari, Karur, Krishnagiri, Namakkal, Nilgiris, Pudukottai, Ranipet, Salem, Thanjavur, Theni and Tiruvannamalai registered one each.

The State capital leads among districts with 323 active infections and 7,51,657 cases overall. A total of 20,014 samples were tested in the last 24 hours, pushing the cumulative number of specimens examined to 6,61,29,520 the bulletin said.

Among those tested positive were 42 men and 31 women, the bulletin said.

Talking to reporters, Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan said 6,250 samples were tested, of which 171 turned out to be positive today.

Expressing hope that the samples of all the 7,490 people at the campus would be collected by today or by Friday, he said new cases may rise in the next one or two days and decline thereafter.

''Currently, the total positivity ratio is 2.6 per cent. About 6,250 people were tested. There is another 1,000-and-odd people who need to be tested of the overall 7,490,'' he said. All those tested positive are isolated, safe and doing fine, he said.

On vaccination for six to 12 year olds, he said the government was awaiting detailed guidelines from the Centre. ''Once we receive them, we will commence the vaccination drive,'' he said.

On the impact of fire that broke out in one of the surgical blocks of Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital here on Wednesday, he said three teams have been formed to assess the damage. ''Since it happened in the surgical block, lots of masks and other equipment got damaged, '' he said.

Radhakrishnan said he has got instructions from the Chief Secretary V Irai Anbu to do an audit in all the hospitals located across the State on fire safety measures on the premises. He said though there was a fire, the government hospital performed major surgeries, including transplantation of heart and kidney, and also accommodated the patients who were getting treated at the block where the blaze occurred. The accidental fire at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital saw over 100 patients being swiftly shifted by officials and the flames were put out in three hours, said authorities.