In the midst of the rapid spread of the Coronavirus pandemic in the state, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami has undergone COVID-19 testing and his samples returned negative for the viral infection.

While addressing the reporters on Monday concerning the latest developments of the outbreak in the state, Tamil Nadu Health Minister Vijayabaskar has said that the Chief Minister got tested and he was spelled negative. According to the reports, and the Chief Minister has undergone the testing at a crucial time when the Chief Secretariat has got the grounds for the virus spread.

The Health Minister stated that Tamil Nadu has been carrying out the aggressive testing policy and the state has the highest testing labs in the country. Tamil Nadu has 87 testing labs of which 46 are government labs and these testing facilities have been manned with full capacity to increase the testings. 

The Minister said that Tamil Nadu has tested more than 9.1 lakh samples- the highest in India. He further highlighted that the government has been conducting fever camps across the containment zones to detect the infection and carriers at the early stage to contain the spread. The state had recorded 37 deaths on Monday.

According to the minister, of these 37 deaths, 10 had died with 24 hours of admission, and 23 of them were above 60 years of age and 35 deceased had identified with co-morbid conditions. According to the press release of the health department, the state had reported 2,710 cases -the highest single-day spike on Monday and the state's tally currently stands at 62,087. The state has tested 26,592 samples on Monday.

Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami has taken COVID-19 testing days after the reports said one of the senior ministers in his cabinet KP Anbalagan, the higher education minister, tested positive for the pandemic. However, the minister has denied that he has contracted to the virus. The reports stated that some of the staffers attached to the Chief Secretariat tested positive for the virus and last week, one of the private secretaries for the Chief Minister had succumbed to the viral infection, becoming the first staff close to the Chief Minister died of the pandemic. 

Also read: COVID-19: TN reports 2,710 fresh cases as the state's tally went past 62,000!