India's Covid-19 tests decline as cases continue to plateau

Falling Covid-19 cases has enabled states to reopen facilities such as cinemas, offices, places of worship and even educational institutions

India's daily Covid-19 cases continue to plateau with the nation reporting between 13,000 and 15,000 cases a day for the last few weeks. However, there has also been a decline in the number of testing, with experts expressing concern over low testing numbers and batting for an increas in testing.

During the peak of the second wave of Covid-19, which hit India earlier this year, the country reported spike of over 4 lakh cases. Since then, the overall daily Covid cases have continued to plateau to less than 15,000 cases a day as of mid-October. Meanwhile, the number of tests fell from 19 lakh in the beginning of May to 13 lakh as on October 19.

In May, India conducted as many as 19 lakh tests per day, with the peak being 22 lakh tests towards the end of the month. The number spiked in June, going as high as 37 lakh during the early days of the month and hovering around the 20 lakh tests range, even as cases during the period had fallen to 1.3 lakh.

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India conducted more than 10 lakh tests daily on average between July and September, with the lowest being 11.5 lakh in the last week of July and the highest being nearly 24 lakh in the third week of August. During this period, India's Covid cases showed a downwards trend, going from 46,000 cases in the beginning of July to as low as 31,000 cases a day by the end of August.

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However, after September, India's Covid cases dived, with the number of cases falling to under 15,000 as of mid-October. During this period, the number of tests conducted daily also showed a decline, going from 16 lakh tests in the beginning of September to 13 lakh tests as of October 19. The number of tests conducted during this period hit a low in early October, with just 9.9 lakh tests conducted on October 4.

The Union Health Ministry as well as experts have been batting for stepping up Covid-19 testing to avaoid any sudden spike in cases. “Maintaining high levels of testing is a must to determine any change in the trajectory of the pandemic. Reduction in overall number of RT-PCR tests may lead to an artificial reduction in positive numbers, and may lead to lowering of guard by the citizens and consequent spread of disease. Sustained testing numbers are a must if we are to overcome the pandemic,” Dr Harsh Mahajan, NATHEALTH president, told The Economic Times.

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