Thane Municipal Corporation increases testing for Covid post Diwali

The Thane Municipal Corporation has increased Covid testing within the city; during the festive week, hardly 1,000 got tested but now the number of tests has increased to 3,000 and more on a daily basis

Post-Diwali, the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has increased Covid testing within the city. During the festive week, hardly 1,000 got tested but now the number of tests has increased to 3,000 and more on a daily basis.

A resident being tested for Covid in Thane. The civic body has increased testing following Diwali festivities. (PRAFUL GANGURDE/HT PHOTO)

Ahead of Diwali as well, the number of tests was increased to 3,000 daily. “Although everything has opened up, there are fewer people coming forward for testing. We are approaching commuters and shopkeepers in market areas to get tested. During the festivities, there were hardly around 1,000 tests being conducted. This has increased now,” said Sandeep Malvi, additional commissioner, TMC.

During the peak of the second wave, the overall positivity rate was 7.3%, until February, the positivity rate had gone below 2%. However, in the first week of October, the positivity rate continued to be stagnant at 2% to 2.5%. Now, it has gone lower than 2%. The low positivity rate is also a reason that the civic body is not focusing on increasing the number of tests within the city.

“The positive cases continue to remain in control and so is the positivity rate. Our main focus is to vaccinate as many as possible before the onset of the probable third wave. As the situation is in control regarding the positive cases, we are not conducting any special drive for testing,” added Malvi.