Coronavirus: The number of COVID-19 cases in India has been rising
Coronavirus cases in Tamil Nadu have crossed the two lakh-mark with 6,989 new cases reported in the last 24 hours, which is also the biggest single-day spike, government data shows. Eighty-nine have died and 7,758 have recovered in the last 24 hours. The total cases in the state is now 2,06,737.
The data shows 20 have died in Chennai in the last 24 hours and 1,329 have tested positive. The recovery rate in Tamil Nadu is 73 per cent and mortality rate is 1.64 per cent.
The COVID-19 positive cases reported in the last 24 hours from these districts are: Thiruvallur (385), Coimbatore (270), Ranipet (244), Madurai (301), Chengalpattu (449), Virudhunagar (376), Kancheepuram (442), Vellore (212) and Tuticorin (317).
The state health department is replicating the Chennai model of opening hundreds of fever clinics in districts for early detection and intervention, which has brought down Chennai's daily tally by 50 per cent.
Tamil Nadu has the biggest number of coronavirus cases in India after Maharashtra. Delhi has the third-biggest cases.
The number of coronavirus cases in India has doubled in nearly three weeks since July 2 when the country crossed the six lakh-mark. The country's tally touched the 10 lakh-mark last Friday. Since then, around three lakh new infections have been reported.
In Telangana, a top health official has hinted at community transmission. "The next four to five weeks are going to be very crucial and people must exercise utmost care and not neglect symptoms," Dr G Srinivasa Rao, Telangana's Director of Public Health, said. Telangana Health Minister Etala Rajender, however, has denied it.
The first phase of human clinical trial of India's homemade vaccine against coronavirus, Covaxin, began at AIIMS in Delhi on Friday, with the first dose of the injection given to a man in his 30s.
In the second phase, 750 people will be recruited between 12 and 65 years old, AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria had said.