CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu recorded 479 fresh coronavirus cases and three more deaths, taking the overall caseload to 8.51 lakh and the toll to 12,496, the health department said on Sunday.
Recoveries eclipsed new cases with 490 people being discharged, taking the cumulative number to 8,35,024, leaving 4,022 active cases in the state.
Chennai accounted for the maximum number of infections with 182, taking the total to 2,35,532 till date.
The metropolis also accounted for a little over one-third of the COVID-19 fatalities at 4,153 deaths.
All the three deceased were ailing with pre-existing comorbidity or chronic illness. A total of 50,815 samples were tested on Sunday, taking the total specimens examined so far to 1.74 crore.
As many as 24 districts have reported fresh infections in single digits while 34 districts reported 'zero' fatalities.
Kallakurichi and Perambalur have recorded 'nil' new infections today while active cases in the respective districts was 4, the bulletin said.
Meanwhile, the public health and preventive medicine department said in a release that elaborate arrangements have been made for COVID-19 vaccination for persons above 60 years and for those above 45 years to 59 years ailing with comorbidities, from tomorrow.
Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan reviewed the overall preparedness along with state immunisation officer Dr Vinay Kumar on Sunday, the release said.
Government-run facilities would offer free vaccination and eligible persons are requested to receive the shot at the centres of their choice either in government or in private hospitals. Tamil Nadu has so far received 23.77 lakh doses of COVID-19 vaccines of which 21 lakh doses are of COVISHIELD and 2.77 lakh doses of COVAXIN.
Till date 4.57 lakh health care workers and front-line workers have been inoculated against a target of 8.21 lakh, the release said.
Apart from free vaccination in state government facilities, the Centre has permitted private hospitals to join the vaccination drive and 761 empaneled private hospitals have expressed willingness to act as COVID vaccination centres.
The Government of India has fixed a ceiling of Rs 250 per person per dose to be charged by the private hospitals.
Tamil Nadu health systems project director Sivagnanam reviewed the arrangements in respect of the empanelled hospitals, it added.