Focus on other districts too as COVID positivity rate is on the rise: Experts to Karnataka officials

Experts ask state government to collect more samples from districts for genome sequencing and 14 such districts have positivity rate of over 20 per cent.
Medics attend to a patient at the Covid Care Centre. (File photo)
Medics attend to a patient at the Covid Care Centre. (File photo)

BENGALURU: Assessing the positivity rate of each district, experts have directed officials to shift their attention from Bengaluru to other districts, where the caseload is on the rise. They reason that cases are fluctuating since citizens are travelling for official and family work.

Markets are also open and little attention is being paid to them. The positivity rate in 14 districts is above 20 per cent, which is a worrying trend.

According to State War Room data, these districts are Udupi, Kalaburagi, Bengaluru Urban and Rural, Ballari, Chikkaballapur, Chitradurga, Kolar, Hassan, Tumakuru, Shivamogga, Mandya and Mysuru. On January 20, the positivity rate was 23.6 per cent in Bengaluru Urban, 34.45 per cent in Mysuru, 33.23 per cent in Mandya, and 31.76 per cent in Bengaluru Rural.

The positivity rate on January 19 was higher: 40.54 per cent in Mandya, 33.87 per cent in Mysuru, 33.04 per cent in Tumakuru, 25.44 per cent in Bengaluru Urban and 27.03 per cent in Bengaluru Rural.

"Since different restrictions cannot be imposed in different districts, it is very important to keep a close watch on each case and undertake profiling of cases in containment zones. Government officials and experts are focusing on Bengaluru and the border districts of the state, but it is important to keep a watch on cases in each district, especially where a rising and fluctuating trend is being reported," experts said.

Experts have also suggested to the government that more samples be collected from the districts for genome sequencing, as compared to Bengaluru, as they will give a bigger picture. The sample collection size should be increased, with more centres being added, as the variant has spread to more areas.

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