COVID-19 in TN: Death toll past 100; cases cross 15,000-mark

Chennai, May 23(): Five people died of COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu on Saturday taking the death toll to over 100 as the state is grappling with the contagion witnessing 759 fresh cases, the health department has said. Among the fresh cases, 49 of them arrived to the state from various places, the health bulletin said. A 75-year-old woman and four men, all from Chennai and suffering from various ailments, succumbed totalling the death toll to 103 in the state. Of those infected were two one-month-old babies from Kancheepuram and Chennai, the bulletin said. Twentyone employees of various companies including those of an automobile manufacturing in neighbouring Sriperumbudur were among the latest COVID-19 cases, health department sources told . As many as 363 people have been discharged taking the total to 7,491, the bulletin said. Chennai leads in the maximum number of positive cases with 624 being added to the list on Saturday totalling 9,989 till date. With the latest cases, the cumulative COVID-19 positive tally also crossed the 15,000-mark to touch 15,512. Saturday also marks the fourth straight day the state has reported over 700 COVID-19 cases. On May 22, it had recorded 786; on May 21, it saw 776 cases; on May 20, it witnessed 743. Five passengers who had returned from the Philippines and seven have tested positive in the exit test conducted after seven days of arrival, albeit having tested negative earlier. On the domestic front, 24 from Maharashtra, three from West Bengal, one passenger each from New Delhi, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh have tested positive for the virus. A private lab in Kanyakumari has come into operation for testing samples taking the total number of facilities to 68. According to the health department, 3,97,340 samples were taken for testing and there were 7,915 active cases under treatment, including those in isolation. VIJ NVG NVG