Karnataka towns see surge in Covid cases, focus on targeted testing

Bidar, Yadgir, Vijayapura among districts reporting low testing; Bengaluru Urban, Dharwad, Chikkaballapura top the table
A health worker sanitises MUDA headquarters in Mysuru. (Photo | Uday Shankar S, EPS)
A health worker sanitises MUDA headquarters in Mysuru. (Photo | Uday Shankar S, EPS)

BENGALURU: The government is further ramping up testing facilities to contain Covid, that is fast spreading to small towns, even as cities too continue to report a high number of cases. However, in the past 10 days, many districts in North Karnataka had fewer tests per million figure, compared to the district-wise average tests of 10,941 per million.

On Wednesday, Karnataka reported 9,540 new cases, taking the total number to 4,21,730, including 6,808 deaths. In all, 35,31,441 tests, including 11,55,178 Rapid Antigen Detection Tests, were done in the state.
As per the Karnataka State Covid-19 War Room report, Bengaluru Urban had the highest testing with 27,906 tests per million, and Ballari lowest with 4,555 tests per million in the past 10 days (as on September 7). Bidar with 4737, Yadgir with 4,946, Vijayapura with 4,946, and Haveri with 5,417 cases were slightly better compared to Ballari. Dharwad, with 12,274 tests per million, Chikkaballapura (12,213) and Hassan (10,430) were among the top four districts. 

Ballari reported 559 new positive cases on Wednesday, taking the tally to 25029. Ballari District Health Officer Dr Janardhan H L said they are conducting over 2,500 tests as the district is reporting 350 to 400 cases a day.Testing rate has been reduced because of the dip in infection rate, said Deputy Commissioner of Vijayapura P Sunil Kumar. “We have the target to test a maximum of 1,200 samples, including 300 RT-PCR tests a day. Testing rate varies, depending on the Covid cases reported each day. Testing will be done 10 times the total number of positive cases reported the previous day. Our testing rates are lower than in other districts,” stated DC Sunil Kumar. 

More tests are being conducted in the places where a higher number of positive cases are detected. Dr CN Manjunath, director, Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, Bengaluru, and a member of the Covid lab testing team, said Karnataka is doing an adequate testing and is now doing targeted testing. He, however, expressed concern over people not coming forward for testing. “They should voluntarily come even if they have the mildest of symptoms,” he added.In state-wise Covid tests done per million population, Karnataka is in sixth position with 55,515.

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