No fresh coronavirus cases,8 samples test negative:TN minister

No fresh coronavirus cases have been reported in Tamil Nadu, State Health minister C Vijayabhaskar said on Tuesday and asserted that stringent screening of people coming to the state continues.

Samples of eight people for suspected coronavirus have tested negative, he said.

Till date 1,31,791 people were screened and 1,137 people who had come to Tamil Nadu from virus-hit countries were under home surveillance, the minister said.

The state reported its first confirmed COVID-19 case on March 7 when a 45-year-old man who recently visited Oman tested positive.

The samples include those who travelled with the affected man, currently undergoing treatment at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital here, and his family members.

"The man is stable and will be discharged soon," Vijayabhaskar said.

The minister has been reviewing the situation regularly with health department officials after the first confirmed case was reported.

The samples that tested negative also include that of the 45-year-old man's wife and of a teenage boy who arrived from Texas in the US.

"The 15-year-old boy is doing fine, stable and will be discharged soon," Vijayabhaskar told reporters.

Earlier in the day, the minister tweeted: "Coronaupdate:Let me share a good news, 8 samples that were in process for Covid19 is tested negative. This includes seven samples of close contacts of the patient at RGGH."