MANDYA: To check the rising number of COVID cases, the Mandya district administration is set to conduct walk-in COVID tests at its swab collection centres. Mandya has been witnessing a steady growth in cases, contributing to the active caseload which stood at 1,159 as on Saturday along with a worrying toll of 21.
According to authorities, the positivity rate has been increasing in the district with areas in Mandya city recording over 9 per cent positivity, which may seem low in comparison to other districts, but is alarming considering the district’s limited health infrastructure.
“The walk-in testing facility is being brought in to arrest this upward trend by testing more and more people,” said Mandya DHO Dr H P Manchegowda. He said they are also looking at increasing swab collection centres in the district to make it convenient for people to get tested.
“In Mandya city, where the positivity rate is high, we are setting up eight stand-alone centres to collect swab samples, while it was two earlier. This is apart from 31 primary health centres and taluk hospitals,” said the DHO. The district health department is set to deploy two vans equipped with health workers in PPEs and rapid testing kits to test vulnerable populations in their neighbourhoods and villages, he said.