BENGALURU: With the number of Covid-19 positive cases on the rise, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike on Friday decided to test all residents of Padarayanapura. The locality was sealed in April when a spurt of positive cases was reported. Thereafter, BBMP began random testing. Apart from this area, Hongasandra ward was also subjected to random testing by BBMP when a migrant worker from Bihar tested positive with no contact or travel history.
Three batches of people were tested randomly in Hongasandra. “In Padarayanapura, people in batches of 26, 19 and 43 were tested randomly of which 6 tested positive. Another batch of 26 has been sent for testing and results are awaited. Owing to the kind of settlements and houses in the area, living standards, spread of infection and high incidence of infection, the government has agreed to start a swab collection centre near Goripalya referral hospital,” said BBMP Special Commissioner for Finance, Dr Lokesh M, who is also one of the nodal officers handling Covid-19 pandemic in Bengaluru.
“We are beginning a compulsive combing operation where the entire population will be tested in the coming days, with swabs collected at the same locality,” Dr Lokesh added. Apart from Bengaluru, the state government is doing random testing in pockets which have become hotspots in Kalaburagi and Mysuru.