Coimbatore: The district reported the highest number of fresh Covid-19 cases in the state on Friday, when 698 people were tested positive for the virus, taking the tally to 2,16,506.
Presently, the district has 6,721 active cases.
With 1,199 people getting discharged from various treatment centres on the day, the number of recovered patients has soared to 2,07,791.
It also had an impact on the recovery rate, which has slightly improved to 95.9%.
At 26, the district also topped the state in the number of Covid-19 fatalities.
With this, the toll has shot up to 1,994.
Among the deceased were three people in their 30s.
Two of them had comorbidities and died at the Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital on Wednesday.
One of them was a 32-year-old diabetic and asthmatic man who was hospitalized on June 7 and died of pneumonia, while the other one was a 38-year-old diabetic man, who was admitted on June 16.
Two other patients too had died in the CMCH the same day – a 38-year-old woman without any comorbidities who was hospitalized on June 19 and a 40-year-old diabetic man who died 11 days after hospitalization.
While the fresh cases have been plateauing in the district, the number of fatalities continues to be relatively high.
The district’s death rate stands at 0.92%, compared to 0.76% in April-end and May first week.
However, it is much lower than Chennai’s death rate, which stands at 1.53% or that of Salem, where the mortality rate is even higher at 1.66%.
While one of the reasons behind the low death rate could be severe under reporting of deaths between April third week and May third week, officials attribute the same to the better management of oxygen supply in the district.
A health department official said, “No one had died because of oxygen shortage or oxygen-related incidents in the district.
The speed at which we added beds and oxygen generators from various sources definitely made a difference in ensuring its availability to all the needy patients.” At 13, Tirupur, meanwhile, reported the third highest number of deaths in the state.
With this, the toll has touched 736 in that district.