SHIVAMOGGA: The number of Covid-19 samples collected has crossed 10,000 in Shivamogga district, of which 65 samples have come back positive. The increase in the number of samples collected is attributed to the large number of people returning to the district from other parts of the country, and an additional testing laboratory.
The district first reported Covid cases on May 10, with eight people who had returned from Ahmedabad in Gujarat testing positive. Then, the number of cases increased to 65, as people started returning from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and other parts of the country.
District Surgeon Dr Raghunandan told TNIE that as the number of people returning from Maharashtra has increased, the number of tests also increased. “We also tested people from vulnerable categories in containment zones, besides those with SARI and ILI symptoms. The testing of samples at Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD) Diagnostic and Research Laboratory has also helped us reach this figure,” he said. A total of 700 swabs are being tested at this lab and at the Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratory.