TN reports 6,986 fresh COVID cases, 85 fatalities

Tamil Nadu on Sunday reported 6,986 fresh COVID cases, taking the tally to 2,13,723 while the death toll touched 3,494 with 85 fatalities. Of the newly identified people with COVID, seven were from abroad and 68 from other states, a health department bulletin said.

While Chennai reported 1,155 cases, the combined new infections in three neighbouring districts of Chengelpet (501), Kancheepuram (363) and Tiruvallur (480) overshot the state capital's count by recording 1,344 positive cases.

Chennai accounted for 94,695 of the state tally of 2,13,723 cases. The deceased include a 37-day-old baby boy from Tiruvannamalai with low birth weight, a 15-year-old girl and a 28-year-old man.

In total, 75 had co-morbidities and 10 none. Of the 3,494 fatalities, Chennai's share was 2,011. As many as 64,129 samples were tested today and till date 23,51,463 specimens have been examined. With the recent approval for a private lab in Coimbatore, there are 116 COVID testing centres (58 government labs and an equal number in private facilities) in Tamil Nadu.