With the number of COVID-19 cases on the rise, particularly in Bengaluru, the city civic authorities are struggling with contact tracing. However, in the last one week, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has stepped up efforts and on a average as many as 7.7 contacts are traced for every person who has tested positive.
Meanwhile, across the State, over the past two weeks, 3.6 lakh primary contacts and 2.99 lakh secondary contacts have been traced.
On an average, in Bengaluru, the BBMP has been able to trace more secondary contacts than primary contacts. The authorities have traced 3.4 primary contacts and 4.3 secondary contacts in the last seven days for every person testing positive. An analysis done by the BBMP COVID-19 War Room of contact traced in the last one week shows that on an average, the highest number of contacts for every COVID-19 positive case tested is in the Bommanahalli zone. As many as 14.2 people are traced as contacts for every person testing positive in that zone.
The least number of contacts are traced in the Yelahanka zone where 5.7 people on an average are traced for every person who has tested positive. Primary and Secondary Education Minister S. Suresh Kumar, who is in charge of Bommanahalli zone, said information regarding the contacts is collected while residents fill a form at the time of collecting the swab instead of waiting till the person tests positive. “We collect details at the time of swab collection and verify it when the person tests positive. We have dedicated contact-tracing teams. Early tracing of contacts is helping us to contain the spread of the infection,” he said.
In tracing both the primary and secondary contacts over the last one week, Bommanahalli zone tops the list of the seven zones in the BBMP limits. Seven primary contacts and 7.2 secondary contacts are traced for every positive case. The least number of primary contacts are traced in the West Zone, with 2.5 primary contacts being identified for every positive case. The least number of secondary contacts are traced in the Yelahanka zone, with 2.7 of them being identified for every positive case.
Tracing is key
A BBMP official pointed out that tracing contacts of a positive patient and asking them to isolate themselves was the most efficient way of containing the infection. “Initially, our field teams took contact tracing very seriously. But we slowly slacked in tracing after the cases started increasing. But in the past few weeks, the pace of tracing contacts has improved,” the official added.
To step up contact-tracing efforts, the State war room has developed an app, Contact Tracing, where citizens can report contacts of those who have tested positive.
