Tamil Nadu reports marginal drop in Covid-19 cases as state eases relaxations

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu reported a marginal drop in the number of Covid-19 cases on Monday with 3827 people testing positive for the infection.

According to the state media bulletin, the total number of cases in the State now stands at 1,14,978.

This comes as Tamil Nadu lifted the complete lockdown in Chennai and its neighbouring districts from Monday and has eased relaxations across the State.

The total death toll in the state rose to 1,571 after 61 people succumbed to the infection on Monday.

The bulletin said 3,793 people were discharged on Monday and that total recoveries in the State stood at 66,571.

Chennai has had 70,017 cases in all, of which 24,052 are active cases.

On Monday, the state capital which is the worst affected district in the State witnessed 1747 people testing positive for Covid-19.

Madurai which is currently the only district in the State that is continuing with the complete lockdown, recorded 245 cases on Monday.

Chennai and neighbouring districts Chengalpattu, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram had been under an intense lockdown from June 19 till July 5.

While the general state-wide lockdown is on till July 31, the State government on Saturday announced a slew of relaxations throughout the State.

Chennai Corporation Commissioner G Prakash on Sunday had said the intensified lockdown in the city was a “definite hit.”

He said it helped to ramp up testing, pick up symptomatic cases from door to door, effective contact tracing and avoided the spread of infection by asymptomatic people.