Technical Advisory Committee recommends ramping up testing to over 1.27L

The Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) has recommended the government to revise the Covid testing target to 1,27,800 tests per day.

The revised testing norm at the district level shall be allocated rationally by the district health authority involving district surveillance officer, epidemiologists, microbiologists, and others by considering the incidence of cases, test positivity rate, etc

While for Bengaluru, the existing target of 40,000 has been retained, for districts like Belagavi (3,000 to 6,000), Bengaluru Rural (1,200 to 2,100) and Bidar (3,000 to 6,000), the targets have been doubled.

Health Commissioner Dr Trilok Chandra told DH, "We are almost touching the target already anywhere between 1 lakh and 1.15 lakh. So, 1,27,800 revised target can be eventually reached as per TAC's recommendations."

After Bengaluru Urban, the revised targets are highest for Shivamogga (3,500 to 7,000), Mysuru (3,000 to 6,000), Bidar, and Belagavi. Shivamogga District Health Officer Dr Rajesh Suragihalli, told DH, "At the moment, we are testing 1,600-1,700 on an average per day. Even at the peak of the pandemic, we were testing 4,500. This month our positivity rate is more. It has increased from 0.3 to 0.98, which is almost one per cent. In last week's video conference we conveyed that we have achieved 83% of our testing targets."

Mysuru District Health Officer Dr T Amarnath, told DH, "At present we are testing 5,000 on an average. At the peak of the pandemic we tested up to 6,000 people. The recommended revised target is already something we have met before. Our rapid antigen tests are used only in ten per cent of the cases like for testing people in courts and in emergencies."