The Salem Corporation has started a drive-through COVID-19 swab testing facility near the new bus stand.
According to Corporation officials, as part of measures to create awareness among the public on COVID-19 and to increase swab sample collection, a drive-through RT-PCR testing facility has been set up near the new bus stand. Corporation Commissioner N. Ravichandran launched the functioning of the centre.
Mr. Ravichandran said, "the new bus stand is a place visited by people from all parts of the city and district and easily accessible. People can just drive-through to the Centre and give swab samples for tests. The Centre would function between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. and medical teams are available at the spot for doing the tests."
He said that there has been an increase in containment zones in the Corporation limits.
Health department officials said that the new facility would facilitate easy swab collection for persons planning to undergo tests for various purposes like inter-State travel and others. Officials said that it would also help them identify infected areas as people from different parts of the district would undergo tests.
The Salem Corporation plans to to collecting 1,500-2,000 samples a day. Since January, about 54,513 swab samples have been collected for tests and the Corporation has increased swab collection centres to 48 places.
