<span style="color: #222222;">The total Covid-19 infected cases in Tamil Nadu surged past the 9000-mark yesterday with the confirmation of 509 new cases. They include five of the evacuees who reached Chennai from abroad. However, active cases remain less than seven thousand. 42 people were discharged yesterday. Three others succumbed to the disease, all from Chennai with co-morbidity like diabetes or hypertension. The total death toll so far due to the disease in the state is 64. Meanwhile, evacuation of passengers from abroad under the Vande Bharat Mission is going ahead.<br />''<br />''"As part of the first phase of the Vande Bharat Mission, a flight from Chicago brought 142 stranded Indians to Chennai yesterday, including an infant and 62 women. It was operated via Mumbai. Two more flights are awaited from Dhaka and Manila today with a total of 425 passengers onboard, while another flight from Chennai is being operated to Dhaka with 170 people. On Friday, the last day of the first phase of the Vande Bharat evacuation mission, another flight is awaited from London. Meanwhile, various political leaders in Tamil Nadu have expressed concern that the state is missing in the second phase of the Vande Bharat Mission. They say there are still thousands of people from the state who are desperate to return from several other countries.</span><br />