Chennai,  Tamil Nadu on Tuesday reported an increase of 31 coronavirus positive cases, taking the state's total tally to 1,204, Health Secretary Beela Rajesh said.

Out of the new 31 positive cases, 21 of them are single source contact.

Rajesh said 81 patients have been discharged till date and the total number of people who died due to Covid-19 was 12.

Queried about the confusion that arose in the cremation of a doctor from Andhra Pradesh who died in a private hospital, she said all the hospitals have been given the necessary guidelines.

The doctor hailing from Nellore in Andhra Pradesh was moved to a private hospital here last week after he tested positive for coronavirus.

He died on Monday and officials tried to cremate his body at a city crematorium in the evening but postponed it due to the opposition from the local populace, who feared that the virus would spread in their locality if the body was cremated there.

The police took back the body to the hospital mortuary. In the early hours of Tuesday, the victim was cremated.

Meanwhile the Tamil Nadu government has released Rs 64.27 crore for preventing the spread of coronavirus.