The number of coronavirus cases in Tamil Nadu dipped to less than 6000 on Thursday, the lowest it has been in a week in the state in a single day. A total of 5,864 cases were recorded in the state. With this, the total number of cases in the state has risen to 2,39,978. The number of deaths on Thursday stood at 97, with 32 deaths recorded in private hospitals and 65 in government hospitals. This has taken the total number deaths in Tamil Nadu to 3,838.
As of Thursday, the state has 57,962 active cases while 1,78,178 persons have recovered from the disease. Chennai recorded 1,175 cases, keeping line with the pattern of reducing cases it has shown over the last two weeks. Other districts too saw a slight reduction in cases, especially in the southern region. Madurai recorded 220 cases, Theni 261, Thoothukudi 229, Virudhunagar 244, Nagapattinam 28 and Kanyakumari 28 cases.
Districts around Chennai too have seen a reduction in cases. This includes Chengalpattu which recorded 354 cases, Kancheepuram with 175 cases and Thiruvallur with 325 cases. Both these regions had been a source of concern for the state government as they were seeing an increasing number of cases over the last six weeks. The health department had begun rigorous testing and containment efforts in these districts to control the spread of the infection.
Of the 97 deaths on Thursday, eight were of persons with no comorbidities. Six of these persons died in government institutes and two died in private hospitals.
In private health facilities, the persons who passed away included a 64-year-old man from Virudhunagar who was admitted on July 21 with complaints of fever and difficulty in breathing. He died on July 28 due to severe Acute Respiratory distress syndrome and COVID-19 pneumonia.
The second person was a 52-year-old man from Thoothukudi who was admitted on July 20 to a private hospital in Madurai with complaints of fever, myalgia and difficulty in breathing. He died on July 29 due to severe acute respiratory distress and COVID-19.