Bengaluru ‘worst-hit’ due to high testing rates, claims Health dept

Responding to a report by DH highlighting the Union government’s data on Covid-19 cases that showed Bengaluru as the worst-hit among all districts in India, the Health and Family Welfare department on Thursday clarified that the number of cases was high due to the enhanced testing. Based on data provided by Union Health Ministry, DH on Tuesday carried a report titled ‘Bengaluru Urban worst-hit district in India’.

The department attributed the high cases to 45,000 tests being conducted per day in the district. “As a result, more cases are detected and reported. No other metro city, except Delhi, doing so many tests per day,” it said, adding that Delhi was reporting 4,500 cases per day compared to Bengaluru Urban’s 1,800 per day in the last few days. “The presence of more active cases is an indicator of good disease surveillance and availability and utilisation of good clinical facilities in the district,” it added.