The number of persons tested for novel coronavirus in Tamil Nadu crossed the 15 lakh mark even as the state reported 3,965 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday. Of the new cases reported on Saturday, Chennai accounted for 1,185 patients. 

Tamil Nadu’s total COVID-19 cases stood at 1,34,226 with 46,410 of them currently being treated for the disease in the state’s hospitals and in home isolation. The number of active cases of COVID-19 in Chennai is 17,989.

Apart from Chennai, Thiruvallur recorded the second highest coronavirus positive cases on Saturday with 346 patients (2,425 active), followed by Madurai with 277 new patients (3,843 active) and Chengalpattu with 237 new cases (3,360 active). Kallakurichi (102), Kancheepuram (119), Kanyakumari (133), Salem (136), Theni (119), Thoothukudi (175), Trichy (128) and Vellore (135) districts also reported over a hundred new COVID-19 patients on Saturday. 

Tamil Nadu also discharged 3,591 persons who had recovered from COVID-19 on Saturday and the total number of patients recovered from the disease till date is 85,915. The state also recorded 69 new deaths on Saturday in which eight had no co-morbidities and 61 patients had co-morbid conditions when they were admitted to the hospitals.

The deaths recorded on Saturday included that of a 24-year-old man in Chennai who was admitted to Government Stanley Hospital on July 9. He was tested for COVID-19 and passed away shortly after that on July 9. He was confirmed to have COVID-19 on Friday. He had no co-morbid conditions when he was admitted to the hospital, according to the health bulletin. 

The state government tested 37,825 samples from 36,628 persons on Saturday. The total number of samples tested so far in Tamil Nadu stands at 15,66,917 from 15,00,909 persons.