Even as the authorities here seem to have managed to salvage the lost grip on handling the COVID-19 pandemic, more testing is on the cards, taking it to the doorstep of people in a bid to flatten the curve.
After Bengaluru, Mysuru had been categorised as a hotspot for reporting alarmingly high cases and fatalities. This called for ramping up testing which is being done now.
Mobile COVID-19 testing booths had been constituted and these booths went to the doorsteps of those wishing to get the tests done. The sample collection and testing was done for free, and the people need not have to leave their places.
The number of cases reported on Sunday was 404 and the number of discharges was 353. Only one death was reported on Sunday. These statistics are in stark contrast to the figures early this month since the cases and fatalities had unusually peaked forcing the authorities to intervene and take corrective steps.
Doubling up the tests for early detection of infection and containing the spread in the community were prioritised increasing the number of testing and sample collection centres.
As on Sunday, 2.49 lakh samples had been tested in Mysuru district. Out of this, 45,042 samples had tested positive with nearly 36,823 discharges. The number of active cases stands at 7,296 as on Sunday.
The Mysuru City Corporation on Monday announced to carry out free mass testing in factories, industries, government and non-government institutions, schools and colleges and in other places in its bid to tighten the grip further on the spread.
MCC Commissioner Gurudatta Hegde urged the public to make use of the facility. The MCC was carrying out testing at 22 places across the city which was in addition to the testing being carried out by the Department of Health and Family Welfare.
With the Dasara festivities on and the influx of tourists up, this measure is significant.
Interested persons can call the MCC control room on 9449841196 or 0821-2440890 and register names and addresses for the mobile teams to visit the places for free COVID-19 test.
