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Punjab sets fresh Covid testing target after Centre flags low sample collection
Punjab’s average testing in November remained around 23,000 tests a day; it was 17,500 in the past one week
With the central government flagging low testing in Punjab and some other states, the state health department on Friday set a daily target of collecting at least 60,000 samples in all districts.
Punjab’s average testing in November remained around 23,000 tests a day. In the past around one week, the state carried out nearly 17,500 tests a day.
The state’s highest daily testing was recorded at 82,000 during the second wave of the pandemic.
According to the Centre’s directions, Punjab should be conducting minimum 50,000 tests a day despite low positivity rate, a senior health department official said.
The Centre’s fresh concern comes in the wake of reports of third and fourth wave hitting different countries.
The Punjab health department claims that the state’s 2,400 tests a day per million is much better than what the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s recommendation of 150 tests per million. The state’s data reveals that 51,674 tests per every lakh population are being conducted.
“Since our positivity rate is low, so are the follow-up samples. Moreover, a change has been witnessed in the behaviour of people as well. The threat of Covid has decreased because of sharp decline in cases and people are now staying away from testing,” said state Covid-19 nodal officer Dr Rajesh Bhaskar.
Of a total of 6,15,351 tests conducted by the health department in November, 753 persons were found positive with a positivity rate of 0.12%.
A senior official said both testing and the vaccination were hit badly due to the strike by various employee unions demanding job regularisation ahead of the assembly polls.
With the state bracing for the assembly polls early next year, gatherings of people are going to increase with each passing day. “This is why we have directed all the district health administrations to increase their testing to collect 60,000 samples a day. Directions have been issued to the civil surgeons,” the nodal officer said.
