<span style="color: #222222;">Tamil Nadu has recorded 716 new Covid-19 patients yesterday with Chennai adding 510 people to the tally. The total number of infected cases in the state has soared to 8718 while the active case load remains 6520. Eighty three patients were discharged yesterday while eight others died of the disease raising the toll to 61.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Nearly 12-thousand samples have been lifted from suspected cases for testing yesterday. Meanwhile, two Vande Bharat special flights carrying stranded Indians landed in Chennai Airport last night from Muscut in Oman and Dammam in Saudi Arabia. The special flights are being operated as part of the country's largest ever evacuation exercise. The Dammam-Chennai flight had a stopover in Kochi in neighbouring Kerala.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">AIR correspondent reports that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswamy says more than thirteen thousand guest labourers have been sent back to their home states so far as demanded. Others who press for going back have been assured of arranging a series of Shramik Special Trains spanning a week. In some cases, employers arrange private buses for the travel of the staff. 296 guest workers from Bihar employed in the construction of a thermal power plant in Tuticorin are heading back in buses arranged by the firm yesterday. <br />''<br />''Meanwhile, the amount of fine collected for the violation of lockdown conditions in the state has exceeded five crore rupees as on Tuesday. More than 3-lakh 80-thousand vehicles have been seized. </span><br />''  <br />