CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu reported 811 Covid-19 cases and 11 deaths on Wednesday, taking the tally to 8,23,181 and toll to 12,188.
Chennai reported 228 cases. Chennai's neighbouring districts of Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur reported 47, 27 and 36 cases respectively.
Perambalur district reported zero cases on the day while 14 other districts reported cases in the single digits.
Five people from West Bengal and one each from Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, who travelled to Tamil Nadu by road, tested positive.
The State tested 63,582 samples and 63,268 people on the day. After 943 people were discharged, the State had 7,665 active cases.
One government lab, the Southern Railway Headquarter Hospital in Chennai, has been approved for Covid testing.
According to the media bulletin issued by the Directorate of Public Health, deaths were reported from six districts. Chennai reported five deaths while Chengalpattu reported two and Ariyalur, Coimbatore, Kanniyakumari, and Ranipet reported one death each.
Among the deceased, two did not have comorbid conditions. One of them, a 62-year-old man from Ariyalur, was admitted at the Government Medical College and Hospital there on December 10 at 11.33om with complaints of cough for two days and difficulty in breathing for one day. He tested positive for Covid on December 31 and died at 12 am on January 1 due to Covid pneumonia.
Meanwhile, the State Health department has revised the charges for RT-PCR tests for Covid in private laboratories.
According to the Government Order dated December 29, 2020, the charge for RT PCR testing in private labs is fixed at Rs 1,200 and an amount of Rs 300 is fixed as an additional charge for home collection of samples. Also, under the Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme, the charge for tests is Rs 800 and a base rate of Rs 600 for pooled samples.
Earlier, an amount of Rs 1,500 was fixed for RT PCR testing in private labs and an additional Rs 300 was fixed for home collection of samples. Under the CMCHIS, Rs 1,200 was charged and for pooled samples Rs 900 was collected.