Is Karnataka's Hubbali going slow on COVID-19 testing after sudden spike in cases?
HUBBALI: Baffled over a sudden rise in COVID-19 cases, is the district administration thinking of going slow on testing? The number of tests carried on Monday substantiate such thinking. However, Deputy Commissioner Deepa Cholan has clarified that testing would be ramped up from June 16.
In the last five days, the district has reported two deaths and 91 positive cases increasing the total cases to 163. It is said that the district administration was pulled up by the higher-ups over the rapid increase in cases.
So, it is learnt that the administration is said to have instructed the doctors not to rest asymptomatic cases and purely focus on symptomatic like SARI and ILI cases.
According to sources, in a meeting held on Monday with doctors and officials, DC Deepa Cholan instructed not to test asymptomatic persons which could lead to more number of positive cases. The doctors were also ordered not to conduct any test on Monday.
So, no sample was tested on Monday except for those received from other districts. On June 14, the total tested samples were 21,122 and 21,142 on June 15.
However, the DC denied of giving any such instruction and said that she had directed doctors and other officials to follow government guidelines and not to test every person in the containment area or in the entire village.
“We are following the circular dated June 8. I have not asked anyone to go beyond the rules I only asked them to follow the circular. There are instructions for testing people even at containment areas, according to the instructions tests should have conducted and not to test the last person of the containment area or the village. The test is compulsory for pregnant women and above 60-years-old.
On the contrary, DC Deepa Cholan expressed anguish over the doctors for not testing ILI and SARI like cases despite a strict instruction issued.