Testing reduces as Kalyan Dombivli record Covid cases in single digit

With the Covid cases recorded in single digit in Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation limits, the average testing has reduced to 800-900

With the Covid cases recorded in single digit in Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) limits, the average testing has reduced to 800-900.

Testing reduces as Kalyan Dombivli record Covid cases in single digit. (HT PHOTO)

KDMC has also kept a record of home testing kits sold in the city. However, the data received from 51 pharmacists shows that only 148 people purchased home test antigen kits for Covid testing. Since the last 20 days, no data was provided by the pharmacists. The civic body claimed the reduction in Covid cases as the reason for low testing.

“The number of cases has reduced to below 10 cases daily. This is one reason why the testing has also reduced from our side. At the same time, the testing done at home by the people is also very low as per the data received by us from the pharmacists,” said Dr Pratibha Panpatil, epidemic officer, KDMC.

As per the data received from 51 pharmacists across Kalyan-Dombivli from January 20 till February end, only 148 tests were done at home. However, there are over 1,000 pharmacies in Kalyan-Dombivli and not every pharmacist sent the data to KDMC.

“When the home testing was introduced, we had asked the pharmacists association in KDMC limits to send us the data as to how many kits were sold by them. However, not every pharmacist provided the data. Also, even if the data is provided, it does not help us to trace how many tested positive in home testing. So basically, the home testing does not work much to track the cases,” said Panpatil.

“As the number of cases has reduced, the number of testing kits sold is less, and now-a-days, the kits are lying unused in pharmacies. At the same time, there was no proper communication from the civic body to the pharmacies on sending the data of sale of these kits on a regular basis. The pharmacists started updating the data only after the guidelines from the food and drug administration,” said Vinay Khatav, president of Kalyan Chemists and Druggists Association.