BENGALURU: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Wednesday informed the Karnataka High Court that 816 pourakarmikas had tested positive for Covid-19 and that it had conducted 11,902 Rapid Antigen Tests and 3,872 RT-PCR tests until August 14.BBMP counsel V Sreenidhi made the submission to a division bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Aravind Kumar, in response to the directions of the court.
In its statement, BBMP said the pourakarmikas tested included supervisors, drivers, helpers, and other staff involved in solid waste management and Covid management. Of the 816 pourakarmikas who have contracted the disease, 423 have been hospitalised, 341 are in Covid Care Centres, and 52 are in home quarantine.
BBMP said symptomatic and asymptomatic cases are being differentiated. Pourakarmikas who have symptoms and those who tested negative on a Rapid Antigen Test are being subjected to confirmatory RT-PCR test according to the Health and Family Welfare department guidelines. The bench directed the BBMP to ascertain whether pourakarmikas in home isolation have proper facilities.BBMP also said that salaries for August had already been credited to the accounts of all pourakarmikas.