The surge in fresh covid19 cases continue to be matter of concern in Madhya Pradesh especially in Bhopal which has reported over 450 fresh cases in the last 48 hours.
Struggling to keep up with the testing with large numbers of infections reported every day, Health department in the state started rapid antigen tests on Thursday. Daily tests carried out in the city are to be increased to 2500 in Bhopal from Thursday.
The district administration seeing the large numbers of suspects had issued a list of 19 hotels in the city which could be used by the persons with suspected symptoms as paid quarantine centres.
Since unlock relaxations were introduced in the city, the numbers of infected persons have surged rapidly and in the last two days, the fresh cases were 246 and 218 respectively in the state capital which is the worst affected district in Madhya Pradesh presently.
Among others, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, three of his cabinet ministers, several MLAs and BJP state president VD Sharma too is down with the infection.
Meanwhile, from Thursday, the Health department has started testing with rapid antigen kits which offers test results in around half an hour to an hour with the help of nasal swab sample.
Till now the tests were carried out by RT-PCR which requires around four to five hours and a big set up for testing but the rapid antigen tests are carried out by a small kit. The kit will be used in two categories including red zones/ containment zones and covid19 care hospitals.
All the labs interested in carrying out these tests are required to enter real time details into the ICMR portal. The facility has been started by state government on the recommendation of ICMR and all the NABL recognised labs and dedicated covid19 care hospitals could carry out these tests.
State Health minister Prabhuram Chaudhary said that these tests are being started in Bhopal and Morena on pilot project basis and 1,000 kits have been purchased for the purpose.
Once the tests are tests offer positive results, it will be implemented in entire state, he added.
Besides Bhopal, Morena too has emerged as the hotspot in Madhya Pradesh in last month or so. With persistent surge in infection, total cases have surged to 1555 in Morena by Wednesday evening.
Home Minister Narottam Mishra in a press briefing said as part of Kill Corona
campaign, we are taking daily tests in Bhopal to 2500. “Identifying suspected persons by reaching out to their doorsteps and killing corona virus is our priority,” said Mishra.
The city is under a ten-day lockdown which ends on August 3. However administration’s response to the lockdown had been dismal as large numbers of locals are venturing out on streets and markets especially in Old city areas which have been the most affected due to covid-19.
