Chennai: Tamil Nadu did not report any Covid-19 death in the past 24 hour period for the first time since April 30, 2020, according to the state public health department.
However, the number of fresh cases on Friday stood at 112. Of the state’s 38 districts, 16 did not report new cases, while the remaining had a marginal number.
State Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan told IANS: “The number of fatalities have touched zero on Friday in the state and this is a welcome development. There are a few number of people admitted in hospitals and ICUs and things are under control.”
Tamil Nadu recorded its first Covid case on March 7, 2020 and reported its first death on March 20.
The victim was a 54-year-old businessman with severe comorbidities and was being treated at the Government Rajaji Memorial Medical college hospital in Madurai.
Pointing out the improvement in the situation, Radhakrishnan said: “On April 15, 2020, the state reported 127 deaths which was the highest during the first wave and reported 493 deaths on May 30, 2021, which was the highest in a single day. Those days were worse. We didn’t have adequate number of oxygen beds or drugs to overcome this. We have come a long way since then.”
During the third wave, the highest number of deaths was on January 27 this year, when the state recorded 53 deaths. In January, there were a total of 788 Covid deaths, while it increased to 440 the following year.
The overall death toll of the state stands at 38,023.
Director of Public Health, Dr. T.S. Selvavinayagam, told IANS: “After vaccinations, the number of people being hospitalised due to Covid has come down drastically. Most of them who lost their lives were either elderly people or unvaccinated, or had comorbid conditions.”
(IANS)
