Booth-level teams to trace primary, secondary contacts of Covid-19 patients in 24 hours: K Sudhakar

Booth level teams will have to trace primary and secondary contacts of a Covid-19 patient in 24 hours henceforth, said Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar here on Monday while addressing a press conference.

7,292 booth level teams consisting of 35,617 people have been formed in the BBMP. The list of the members and their contact numbers was released to the Press on Monday. The teams will be spread across, eight zones: East, West, South, RR Nagar, Yelahanka, Dasarahalli, Bommanahalli, and Mahadevapura across 27 assembly constituencies.

The teams across 198 wards will have 7,292 booth level officers and 28,325 additional staff. "House-to-house survey is to be done by booth level teams to enable reverse isolation of the elderly. ILI/SARI cases, and those with comorbidities cases are to be detected. Primary and secondary contacts are to be identified in 24 hours," Sudhakar said.

"Pulse oximeters and thermometers are also to be distributed. By tomorrow evening (Tuesday), all electoral booths are to furnish the above requested information to the state government," he added. According to the lists of booth level teams released by the BBMP on Monday, the teams consisted of government employees: teachers and non-teaching staff.

For example, the teams in the Yelahanka zone consisted of Rail Wheel Factory, Yelahanka, employees: typists, assistant engineers, accounts assistants, clerks, office superintendents etc.

According to the state Covid-19 war room as on July 12, out of 38,843 cases so far reported, 19,789 are still under investigation. This apart from 3,658 ILI cases under investigation and 617 SARI cases under investigation.

On being asked if the 24-hour window period to trace all primary and secondary contacts of a Covid patient was unrealistic considering the backlog of cases under investigation Sudhakar said, "Our health staff has worked continuously for four and a half months and they are exhausted. That is why we are entrusting this job to fresh teams."