CHENNAI: The number of new Covid-19 cases in Tamil Nadu continued to rise with 3,940 being reported on Sunday, raising the State’s tally to 82,275. The death of an 18-month-old baby from Villupuram district, the youngest to succumb to the virus in the State, was among the 54 deaths recorded.
The baby died at Villupuram Medical College Hospital on Saturday. With this, the death toll in the TN reached 1,079. DMK MLA from Gingee K S Masthan was among those who tested positive. Chennai reported 1,992 cases, its tally now is 53,762 while 34 more deaths took the city’s toll to 809. The number of cases reported outside of Chennai and its neighbouring districts, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur, has been on the rise, even as testing has been ramped up in the capital.
On June 10, Chennai and its neighbours accounted for 90 per cent of new cases. This dropped to 69 per cent on June 20. On Sunday, it fell to 57.7 per cent with the other districts accounting for 42 per cent new cases. Among them, Madurai led the pack with 284 new cases, taking its case load 1,995.
The State reports more deaths of young people. A 17-year-old boy from Tiruvallur, with Vitamin-D deficiency and hypothyroidism, died on Saturday, while a 29-year-old from Chengalpattu died on Sunday. An analysis showed 62 people died on June 26 alone.
Chennai Corporation Commissioner G Prakash told reporters 2.75 lakh people had been brought into the quarantine cycle until Saturday. “This includes people quarantined under 18 categories, including home isolation, and those discharged from hospitals but are awaiting an exit test,” he said.
Youngest victim
An 18-month-old baby from Villupuram became the youngest victim on Sunday. A 13-year-old boy from Thanjavur and a 17-year-old boy from Tiruvallur also died on Saturday, after testing positive.