Tamil Nadu coronavirus update: State records 4,013 new cases, 115 deaths

: Tamil Nadu recorded further

decline in new COVID-19 cases with 4,013 infections and 115 deaths on Saturday, said the Health Department.

With these, the caseload went up to 24,92,420 and the death toll up to 32,933, the department said.

As many as 4,724 people got discharged today, aggregating to 24,23,606 leaving 35,881 active infections, a bulletin said.

The State commenced vaccination for pregnant women at a camp held in Cuddalore district.

The State reported its highest daily infection at 36,184 on May 21 and it has since been reporting a decline.

On May 30, the State saw daily cases dropping below 30,000; on June 7 the numbers were below 20,000; and on June 17, they were less than 10,000.

As many as 27 districts reported new infections in double digits while there were no fresh deaths in 11 districts, the bulletin said.

Chennai saw 227 people contracting the contagion aggregating to 5,33,224 till date.

The number of COVID-19-related fatalities in the State capital reached 8,217.

The testing of RT-PCR samples stood at 1,60,194 in the last 24 hours, pushing the cumulative number of specimens examined so far to 3,33,22,908.

Of the 115 deaths, 93 patients succumbed in government hospitals while the remaining were in private ones.

Seventeen of the deceased were patients without any co-morbidity or pre-existing illness.

Minister for Medical and Family Welfare Ma Subramanian took part in the vaccination camp for the pregnant women. The camp was inaugurated by sitting MLA Udhayanidhi Stalin.

Briefing reporters, Subramanian said the Centre has announced that pregnant women can be vaccinated and it is for the first time the campaign for those pregnant in Pennadam, Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu was undertaken.

On the vaccination drive, he said till date, the total number vaccinated has crossed the 1.50-crore mark.

"We received 1,57,76,550 vaccines of which we have vaccinated 1,52,00,785 till date and 6,41,220 doses are in stock. Despite the impact of virus on Tamil Nadu reducing, the number of testing of RT-PCR samples remained high," he said.

Earlier in the day, health department principal secretary J Radhakrishnan said Centre has informed the government that 11 lakh doses of the total allotment of 71 lakh doses for Tamil Nadu would arrive by July 10.

"We will be receiving the doses released by the Centre as per schedule," he said.

To a query whether the government was covering up the actual number of COVID-19 deaths in Tamil Nadu, he said there was no such cover-up.

He added that the Health Department has issued an advisory to all hospitals to share the exact details of COVID-19 deaths and the hospitals were submitting the details, he said.