Tamil Nadu Records Highest Single-day Spike With 1,149 Covid-19 Cases, Tally Breaches 22,000-mark

In its highest ever single day spike, Tamil Nadu reported over 1,000 COVID-19 cases on Sunday, as the overall tally zoomed past 22,000 with 173 fatalities so far due to the pandemic.

The record daily spike came on a day when the state government extended the lock-down till June 30 with various relaxations, including partial resumption up of public transport.

With 1,149 additional cases of coronavirus, the state's aggregate touched 22,333, according to a Health Department bulletin.

As many as 13 fresh fatalities pushed the overall tally to 173. Of the new cases, 95 were passengers who arrived in the state through various modes of transport, the bulletin said.

As on date, the number of active cases, including those in isolation, stood at 9,400 and 757 people were discharged on Sunday, taking the total number of those recovered to 12,757.

Chennai showed no signs of reversing the curve, as the capital city topped the daily virus charts for yet another time with 804 cases.

The metropolis now has 14,802 patients. According to the bulletin, 12,807 samples were tested at the 72 testing facilities in the state.

Among those turned COVID-19 positive include 729 men, 417 women and three transgenders.

At least ten people from Chennai, including an 80-year-old man ailing from 'type II diabetes mellitus' and a 39-year old woman suffering from chronic kidney disease were among those who lost their lives to COVID-19, the bulletin said.

The other three patients who succumbed to the virus were from Madurai, Kancheepuram and Namakkal.

Of the 173 deaths reported till date, Chennai leads in the number of victims at 129 followed by Chengalpattu and Thiruvallur at 11 each.

Apart from the state capital, Chengalpattu saw 85 new cases on Sunday, Tiruvallur 47 while Tiruvannamalai reported 45 fresh infections.

There were 1,286 children below the age of 12 years who tested COVID-19 positive while 2,052 people who contracted the contagion were aged over 60.

The major chunk of people who tested positive were between the age group of 13 and 60 numbering 18,995, the bulletin said.

Meanwhile, the state government revised coronavirus testing guidelines after it announced new relaxations pertaining to intra and inter-state movement of people.

The government on Sunday extended the lock-down till June 30 in the state, albeit with new set of relaxations including allowing public transport, a day after the Centre announced "Unlock 1.0" for graded exit from the lock-down.

The Tamil Nadu government identified eight zones to allow people's movement, opening up public transport in all but the four worst-affected districts of Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur.

The zones were created combining nearby districts. According to Health Department guidelines, testing of incoming individuals in intra or inter-district movement within a zone is not required.

However, "testing (will) be done only for those coming with symptoms," when people travel from one zone to another, except Chennai, it said.

For those moving from Chennai to other zones, testing will be done for all, irrespective of whether the person had symptoms or not, it said.

Meanwhile, the Southern Railway, set to operate intra-state special trains from Monday, said passengers travelling from one zone to another have to obtain the Tamil Nadu government's e-pass.

It will operate Coimbatore-Mayiladuthurai-Coimbatore Janshatabdi special, Madurai-Villupuram-Madurai Intercity Superfast special, Tiruchirappalli-Nagercoil-Tiruchirappalli Superfast special and Coimbatore-Katpadi-Coimbatore Intercity Superfast special from June 1.