Tamil Nadu receives approval from Centre to set up 8th lab to test for COVID-19

Tamil Nadu has received approval from the Union Health Ministry for the eighth testing centre for coronavirus in the state.

State Health and Family Welfare Minister C Vijaya Baskar said the government had received the nod from the Health and Family Welfare Ministry for setting up of the eighth testing lab at Rajaji Medical College in Madurai.

"This is the 8th lab for Tamil Nadu which will support testing of more samples in that region," he tweeted on Wednesday.

Incidentally, the latest approval for setting up the lab at Madurai comes in the backdrop of the state reporting its first death in Madurai early on Wednesday.

According to the Union Health Ministry, the total number of coronavirus cases on Wednesday rose to 562 with nine deaths. It does not include the death in Tamil Nadu.

The Tamil Nadu government has announced a lockdown from March 24-31 as part of its efforts to control the spread of coronavirus.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced nationwide lockdown for three weeks with effect from midnight.

Tamil Nadu also invoked CrPC Section 144 which prohibits the assembly of more than five persons in public places to implement the lockdown.