CHENNAI: Health minister C Vijaya Baskar on Tuesday said the Tamil Nadu government had screened nearly 1.8 lakh people for Covid-19 and home quarantined 2,221 of them.A ne patient, who tested positive for novel coronavirus , had recovered and discharged from hospital, he added.During the zero hour debate in the assembly, the minister said testing capacity in the state had been stepped up to 500 a day by setting up facilities in Theni, Tiruvarur, Tirunelveli and Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai, besides the King Institute of Preventive Medicine and Research.“A few private hospitals have shown interest in testing, but the approval should be given by the central government. We are well-equipped in testing, which comes at a free of cost,” the minister said.The government lifted samples from 38 people in RGGGH on Monday, who had a travel history to novel coronavirus-hit countries. The health department also set up quarantine centres with all facilities, which can accommodate 200-500 people at a time.The minister said that orders for procurement of 25 lakh masks had been placed. “Continuous monitoring is on to ensure adequate medicines and masks. Private vendors have been asked not to sell masks at a higher price, or else action will follow,” the minister said.Along with health and police personnel, 25 teams of animal husbandry department had been deployed at in check posts in 16 border districts, Vijaya Baskar said.