HYDERABAD: There has been a steep drop in the number of COVID-19 tests in the State due to the festive season. Just 14,729 tests were conducted on Sunday, leading to the detection of only 582 new cases and taking the tally to 2,31,834.
On Saturday, 982 cases were detected by testing 27,055 samples. In these two days, eight deaths were reported, taking the toll to 1,311. Over 1,432 people recovered on Sunday, taking the total number of recoveries to 2,11,912. While 174 cases were recorded under GHMC limits, a few districts including Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Kamareddy, Asifabad, Mulugu, Narayanpet, Nirmal and Pedapalli did not record any cases at all.
One of the major reasons for low case detection is that majority of test centres remained closed during the holidays."Owing to the festivals, testing labs were not functional. Only admissions of severe breathlessness or comorbidities were being done after which tests were conducted. The others were requested to come later," said a staff member from the District Hospital in Nalgonda.