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 immunity boosting preparations like zinc and multivitamins, besides Ayush formulations were being provided to people, including frontline warriors, the Chief Minister said.

On migrant workers, he said in a week, the government would arrange trains for those wishing to go back their home states.

Since work has resumed following the easing of curbs -in sectors including construction- those who wished to stay back may do so, he said.

About 50,000 workers from other states were working in Tamil Nadu and it was not possible to make arrangements to send all of them at the same time, he said. He directed officials to arrange trains only after 10 pm as taking people during daytime may lead to traffic congestion.

Tasking officials to handle the logistics carefully, he said workers should be apprised that they will be picked up from their places of stay and dropped at the railway station.

Till such time, workers should continue to stay put in their places of accommodation and "the government will create opportunities for them to go their native states in a phased manner in a week," he said.

Palaniswami asked officials to enumerate the number of workers in their respective places after making all arrangements like deploying police personnel since workers,out of anxiety, may converge in any given location if they got to know that officials are making a headcount for their journey.

He also listed a slew of relief measures, including financial assistance of Rs 1,000 for rice ration card holders and workers and appealed to the people to follow norms like wearing masks, maintaining social distance and personal hygiene.

In the biggest single-day surge in the state so far, Tamil Nadu had on Monday reported 527 new COVID-19 cases, a large number of them linked to the Koyambedu market here,which has emerged as a worrying hotspot for authorities.

RAVINDRANATH