<span style="color: #222222;">In Tamil Nadu, 33 new cases of COVID-19 have come up today while 27 have been discharged. With today's new cases, the total number of infected in the state has mounted to 1629, though the active caseload is 946. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The death toll remains 18, with no loss of life reported in the last 24 hours. AIR correspondent reports the state chief minister Edappadi Palaniswamy has announced that the ex-gratia amount to the families of those frontline staff who die in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic will be increased from ten lakh to fifty lakh rupees. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Those at the frontline include doctors, nurses, paramedical staff, police and sanitary workers among others. In addition, an eligible person from their families will be given government job. Furthermore, in the wake of the recent incidents in which the bodies of two doctors in Chennai had to be shifted from one cemetery to the other due to mob resistance, the state government has also promised to ensure decent last rites for them.</span><br />''  <br />