TN adds 746 new COVID-19 cases; 11 fatalities

Twenty one districts reported below 10 COVID-19 infections, as Tamil Nadu logged 746 new infections on Friday, pushing the caseload to 27,23,991 while 11 more deaths took the toll to 36,443.

Recoveries marginally eclipsed new cases with 759 people getting discharged in the last 24 hours, aggregating to 26,79,130, leaving 8,418 active infections, a health department bulletin said. Chennai and Coimbatore accounted for the majority of new infections with 103 and 113 cases, respectively, while the remaining was scattered across other districts.

As many as 21 districts reported below 10 COVID-19 cases, while Perambalur and Ramanathapuram recorded zero new cases, each, the bulletin said.

A total of 1,03,258 samples were tested in the last 24 hours, pushing the cumulative number of specimens examined so far to 5,38,67,315.

Meanwhile, Minister for Medical and Family Welfare Ma Subramanian said the health department has inoculated 77.02 per cent of the total population with a single dose of vaccine, while 41.60 per cent of people received the double dose, till date.

Delivering his address at 'Connect 2021', the 20th edition of the event organised by Confederation of Indian Industry and Tamil Nadu and Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu (ELCOT), he said the government would roll out a new scheme under which anyone who sustained injuries in accidents would immediately be treated at a hospital at government cost.

"The government has earmarked Rs 50 crore for this scheme in the first phase", he said.

Subramanian said the health department was able to receive details of those who benefited from the scheme rolled out by it only through Information Technology and added that IT plays a significant role in the progress of a nation.