A total of 688 persons tested positive for coronavirus in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday taking the total number of covid cases in the State to 12,448, according to a release issued by directorate of public health and preventive medicine. Out of the 688 persons tested positive on Tuesday, 87 were those who returned from West Asia (36), Maldives (1), Maharashtra (49) and Kerala (1).
The number of cases tested positive on Tuesday has come as a disappointment to health professionals because the State has been showing a reduction in the number of covid cases during the last one week. On May 12, the number of persons tested positive were 716 and since then the number of cases fluctuated from 509 to 536 which was registered on Monday evening. The 688 cases tested on Tuesday is the highest number of positive cases since May 12.
Chennai city alone tested 552 positive cases taking the total number of cases in the capital city to 7,672. The death toll in Tamil Nadu stood at 84 as three more persons succumbed to the pandemic on Tuesday.
The day also saw 489 persons leaving hospitals fully recovered taking the total number of patients discharged from the hospitals till Tuesday evening 4,895. This means the total number of active cases in the State is 7,553.
3,48, 174 samples and 3, 32, 352 persons were tested in the State till date. There are 63 laboratories working round-the-clock in the State to test samples.
Meanwhile the Tamil Nadu State Board Examinations for Class 10 students scheduled to begin on June 1 has been postponed to June 15. KA Sengottaiyan, School education Minister told reporters on Tuesday that the examination would be held from June 15 to June 25.
The earlier decision of the Government to hold the examination from June 1 had drawn criticism from M K Stalin, president, DMK, who had questioned the logic behind the move in the backdrop of the pandemic prevailing in the State.
Sengottaiyan said that his interaction with stakeholders was the reason fore the postponement of the examination. “Many red zones and hotspots in the State would change to green zone by mid-June and this would help to reduce the tension if any among the students, parents and teachers,” said the Minister.