Chennai, Jun 12 (IANS): As many as 1,982 people tested positive for coronavirus in Tamil Nadu over the past 24 hours, said the State Health Department on Friday.

In a statement issued here, the department said 1,982 persons turned Covid-19 patients taking the total tally to 40,698. A total of 18 Covid-19 patients breathed their last and the death toll went up to 367.

The total number of Covid-19 patients discharged from various hospitals stood at 1,342 taking the total number of cured to 22,047 while the total number of active cases are 18,281 in the state.

According to the statement a total of 18,231 samples were tested and total tally stands at 6.73 lakh.

The number of infected children in the state in the age group 0-12 went up to 2,097.

The state capital Chennai continued to head the Covid-19 infection table with 1,479 persons testing positive for the virus and the total tally stands at 28,924.

Meanwhile the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) said FIRs had been lodged after it registered police complaints against 40 coronavirus patients for breaching home quarantine norms and moving out.

In a statement issued here, the GCC said first information reports (FIR) were registered against these patients for putting other people's lives at risk.

The GCC said those asymptomatic for coronavirus infections are home-quarantined and monitored by it but there were complaints about such persons going out of their homes and infecting others.

According to GCC, the contacts of such persons will also be quarantined in Covid-19 centres.