Higher testing behind rise in numbers;trains for migrant workers in a week: TN CM Palaniswami

: As Tamil Nadu clocked 500 plus fresh coronavirus cases for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, Chief Minister K Palaniswami asserted that the rise in the number of positive people was due to testing a higher number of samples.

Amid clamour from migrant workers to return to their home states, the Chief Minister assured them that the government would arrange trains in a week for those wishing to go back.

"Daily about 12,000 people are being tested and only due to such a high number of tests is the number of those turning positive also on the rise," he said.

While 527 people tested positive on Monday, 508 samples were confirmed to carry the contagion today, taking the aggregate number of positive cases in Tamil Nadu to 4,058 and Chennai alone has 2008 cases till date.

After chairing a review meeting at the Greater Chennai Corporation, the Chief Minister told officials that only Tamil Nadu has as high as 50 labs to conduct COVID-19 tests and added that the number of people being tested has also been increased.

The government later updated the number of labs as 52 (36 in government and 16 others in private sector) following two private labs getting permission for testing coronavirus.

Palaniswami said the public need not fear over more people testing positive as anti-COVID-19 initiatives were being pursued on all fronts, including prevention.

As many as 4,000 beds are ready in Chennai alone and