Tracing leaves an average of 4.5 contacts per case

On 1 March, Bengaluru Urban reported 210 positive cases, but since then, the cases have been steadily increasing.

On Friday, the city registered 526 new COVID-19 cases, the maximum since the beginning of the month. An anxious Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palika (BBMP) has decided to step up testing and contact tracing.

Currently, civic officials are tracking an average of 4.5 contacts for every positive case reported in the city. Assuming that it was reduced in the last 10 days, BBMP Special Commissioner (Health) Rajendra Cholan said efforts were being made to increase the contact tracing.

In a virtual meeting with civic officials from all regions, the civilian head n. Manjunath Prasad said that for every positive case reported, a minimum of 15 contacts should be detected and tested. To reduce the delay in relaying positive case information at the ward / PHC level, there will be integration of ICMR’s portal through the index app up to UPHC level.

This, Mr. Cholan said, would happen in the next two days. In this way, action can be initiated with 24 hours of identifying positive cases at the PHC level.

Vaccine center

The need to increase vaccination centers was also discussed in the meeting. Currently, the city has 341 vaccination centers. Mr Cholan said that the civic body had identified around 500 hospitals, which had more than 30 beds, which were registered under the Karnataka Private Medical Establishment Act. Of these, 210 had agreed to involve hospital management.

Slum dwellers and those belonging to lower socio-economic groups have also been included in the COVID-19 vaccination campaign, to ensure that PHCs (Primary Health Centers) have been instructed to support nursery midwives (ANMs). Identify and bring beneficiaries through the Immunization Center.

“ANM should be instructed to create awareness among the beneficiaries. If we do not do this, these people will be left out, ”said Mr. Cholan, adding that the BBMP should work towards achieving the target of 1 lakh vaccinations every day.