The number of COVID-19 cases on Wednesday surged further to 23,310 with 167 deaths across Tamil Nadu. With the deaths - 73 at private hospitals and 94 in government-run ones, the fatalities rose to 14,779 so far. The total number of people testing positive till date increased to 12,72,602 and the number of active cases remains at 1,28,311.

There was slight increase in the number of people discharged after treatment, according to a bulletin from the state Health Department. The number discharged after treatment today stands at 20,062 and the total has gone upto 11,29,512.

People who returned from Bahrain (1) and Saudi Arabia (1) besides those from West Bengal (8), Bihar (5), Andhra Pradesh (4), Jharkhand (2), Uttarakhand (1), Kerala (1) and Puducherry (1) added to the total of 23,310 infections today.

In Chennai, 5,755 people were discharged, and the total recoveries stand at 3,26,212. While 3,64,081 were positive cases, 32,917 were active ones. The death toll has been 4,952 so far, including 58 deaths today.

Next to Chennai, Coimbatore registered 2,029 cases followed by Chengalpattu with 1,755 cases, Thiruvallur: 1,385, Madurai: 914, Thoothukudi: 741, Tirunelveli: 653, Trichy: 652, Tiruppur: 640, Erode: 616 and Salem: 613.

Meanwhile, the police arrested four people, including a doctor and a pharmacist, in two separate incidents in the metro for allegedly selling Remdesivir and seized about 36 vials of the anti-viral drug from them.

According to the police, the doctor who was working on contract colluded with the pharmacist and allegedly attempted to sell Remdesivir at a higher price.

The police seized 24 vials of Remdesivir, a car and a two-wheeler from them on Tuesday.

In another incident, an employee of a private hospital was held for selling the anti-viral drug for Rs 36,000 to a person. Both were arrested, police said adding that six vials were seized from them.