Chennai, Mar 29 (IANS): Two Covid-19 patients were discharged from a Tamil Nadu hospital while eight persons were found to be coronavirus positive on Sunday as the fifth day of the nationwide lockdown passed off peacefully in the state.

With the eight new coronavirus positive cases, the total number of persons who have tested positive for the virus has touched the half century mark in the state.

State Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar said that two persons who had returned from the US and tested positive for coronavirus were discharged from the hospital on Sunday, after testing negative for the presence of coronavirus.

The two persons have been advised to be under home quarantine for next 14 days, he said.

Vijayabaskar also said the eight new positive cases from Erode were the contacts of the Thai nationals undergoing treatment at Perundurai hospital and all of them have been isolated for treatment.

On Sunday, the government also began implementing the containment zone plan across the state.

Municipal Administration Minister S.P.Velumani said that the containment zone plan has begun in the state.

As per the containment zone plan, officials would be marking out a seven kilometre radius from the residence of any person who had tested coronavirus positive.

Within this radius, officials will check each house to ascertain whether anyone in the family show signs of coronavirus infection.

The day began with people crowding at vegetable and fish markets here and in other places, throwing away the caution of maintaining social distance to prevent the virus spread.

As the new timing regulations, stores selling essential items downed their shutters at 2.30 p.m.

Meanwhile, 97 persons hailing from Jharkhand and West Bengal who were stranded at the MGR Central Railway Station were housed in a community centre here and were treated with good food amd healthcare by the Greater Chennai Municipal Corporation.