TN logs highest number of new cases in country

TN logs highest number of new cases in country

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:19.05.2021

Tamil Nadu on Tuesday reported the highest number of new cases in the country since the start of the pandemic in March last year.

The state, however, is seeing a decline in total number of fresh cases. After reporting 33,658 cases on May 15, the state reported 33,181cases on May16 and 33,075 on May 17.

On Tuesday, a total of 33,059 people tested positive, thereby taking the cumulative Covid tally to 16,64,350.

The death count, however, continued to increase with another 364 people from TN succumbing to the disease in the last 24 hours. The state's death toll current death toll is18,369 — the fourth highest in the country.

Another worrying trend is the spike in the number of active cases. As of Tuesday, 2,42,949 patients are undergoing treatment in healthcare centres and in their homes.

Of them, nearly onethird were in the Chennai region. In hotspot Chennai, the number of people testing positive dipped for the third day in a row. A total of 6,016 got infected, and this included 74 from a children's home for intellectually-challenged.

In Kancheepuram, the daily infection count (761) fell sharply by 38% compared to Monday. But the death count increased to 19 on Tuesday. At the other two neighbouring districts —Chengalpet (2,299) and Thiruvallur (1,890) —the positivity rate hasn't reduced.

Coimbatore, which is the second worst-affected district in TN, had 3,071 new cases. But the recovery count (1,305) was not even half of it. This is why there is acute shortage for oxygen-supported and ICU beds over there. Only six such beds were vacant in the entire district on Tuesday evening.

Cases were increasing in other major cities like Salem (650) and Vellore (520), it dropped down marginally in Madurai (1,011) and Trichy (1,271) on Tuesday.

As far as vaccination was concerned, a total of 50,091 got their jabs on Tuesday —20 % less compared to Monday (63,101). So far, a total of 70,13,735 people have got vaccinated in the state.