New Delhi, May 26: The health department of Tamil Nadu on Tuesday confirmed that the passenger who arrived to Coimbatore from Chennai via the IndiGo Airlines 6E 381 flight has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. A statement was released by the IndiGo after it was communicated of the virus detection by the government. 'India is the Only Country Where Coronavirus is Exponentially Rising and We are Removing Lockdown', Says Rahul Gandhi.

The passenger who tested positive had boarded the Chennai-Coimbatore flight on May 25 -- the day when domestic fliers returned to the skies after a two-month hiatus. The Civil Aviation Ministry permitted the resumption of domestic flight operations from Monday as a set towards restoring normalcy in the country.

"We received confirmation from the Coimbatore airport doctor that a passenger who travelled on 6E 381 from Chennai to Coimbatore on 25th May evening, has tested positive for COVID-19," said the statement released by IndiGo.

Update by ANI

A total of 532 flights operated across the country on Monday. The operations resumed for the first time since March 25, when a nationwide lockdown came into effect to contain coronavirus transmission. The maximum demands were witnessed in non-metros, said Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, adding that a total of 39,231 passengers flew on the opening day.

Top Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi critiqued the government's pace of lifting the restrictions, claiming that the lockdown was imposed in a "mismanaged manner" and is being withdrawn also in a similar way.  "India is the only country where the virus is exponentially rising and we are removing the lockdown. The aim and purpose of the lockdown have failed," he said, in the aftermath of government's decision to open rail and air travel facilities.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 26, 2020 09:23 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).