Chennai,  Eighteen more people, including students and staff, tested positive for Covid-19 at IIT Madras, Tamil Nadu Health Department officials said on Friday.

With this, the total number of people to have tested positive in IIT Madras in the last two days has risen to 30.

The Tamil Nadu state government has directed the state health department to test a minimum of 25,000 samples for the virus. Currently, 18,000 samples are tested on a daily basis.

In the wake of 30 people testing positive in two days, the state government conducted a high-level meeting of the health department officials. State Health Secretary Radhakrishnan, in a statement, said that the health department has called for strict adherence to Covid -19 protocols.

Tamil Nadu government has announced that wearing masks is mandatory and those who break the rule will have to pay a fine of Rs 500.

State Health Minister Ma Subramanian while speaking to IANS said: "The increase in Covid -19 cases at IIT-Madras is being studied in detail. The state health department is closely monitoring the situation and will take necessary steps regarding the same."

He also said that people must stick to Covid -19 standard protocol.