One Lakh Covid Tests To Be Conducted Per Day In Bengaluru: Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar

With a surge in new Covid positive cases in Karnataka, especially in capital city Bengaluru, the state has decided to step up testing as well as conduct door to door survey to identify positive cases.

Minister for Health and Medical Education Dr K Sudhakar, addressing media after a meeting with BBMP officials said instructions have been given to conduct 1 lakh tests per day in Bengaluru. The task force will also be asked to identify at least 20 primary and secondary contacts for each case, he said asking people to cooperate with officials who visit homes for testing.

A door to door survey will also be initiated, said Sudhakar. There are 8500 booths in BBMP limits and

A team will be formed in each of the 8500 booths within BBMP limits which will conduct the surveys. Their mandate will include testing, spreading awareness on isolation guidelines, necessary assistance to Covid infected persons, treatment for home isolated people, stamping, health check up, ensuring oxygen service for the infected persons etc.

“Though this programme was unveiled last year, it could not be implemented. But now we will ensure this will happen. Every ward will have one ambulance, 250 ambulances are available,” he added.

Private hospitals have been directed to reserve 50% beds for Covid patients. Guidelines will be out soon regarding modalities for reference from a government hospital and direct admission.

Presently 1000 beds are available for Covid patients in Bengaluru and measures have been initiated to increase it by another 3-4 thousand additional beds.

Clarifying about the availability of vaccines, Sudhakar clarified that there was no shortage, as the state already has 25-30 lakh dosage and has been assured of an additional 25 lakh dosages by the centre. Healthcare personnel will visit apartment complexes in the city to provide vaccination.

In a bid to accelerate the vaccination drive and ensure better coverage, the Minister on Wednesday announced that starting 11th April, Covid-19 vaccination can be distributed in all private and government work places. “Several large IT firms and industries had earlier requested us to allow vaccination at their premises. Companies can now provide vaccination to their employees at their offices if there are more than 100 eligible and willing beneficiaries,” he said.

Although the state has ramped up infrastructure since last one year to treat covid patients, “we need to ensure that more people don't end up needing ICUs and ventilators. Nearly 5000 cases have been reported in Bengaluru alone with a positivity rate of 5.56 per cent. 25 out of 35 deaths in state have been reported in Bengaluru,” he added.

As per the media bulletin released today, a total of 6,570 new cases were reported in the state on 7 April. This takes the total active cases to 53,395 with 36 new fatalities.