Maharashtra: PMC and PCMC to increase COVID-19 testing

Pune: The state has ordered civic bodies to conduct more COVID-19 testing, but increasing testing in the city has posed a new challenge to Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC).

Apart from issuing daily test targets, the government wants reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to amount to 75 percent of all COVID tests. The civic bodies are hesitant with the demanded numbers.

Further, Civic bodies have been asked to ready manpower and take care of other logistics required to run the initiative. The door to door survey in containment zones and testing of potential super- spreaders has to be done.

The number has indeed come down after recoveries increased. PMC tests around 3,000 people a day on an average of which 2,000 are RT-PCR. The samples are sent to Sassoon General Hospitals (SGS),

The second wave of the coronavirus infections is expected early next year. PMC and PCMC have been given a target of 5,840 and 3,730 tests respectively. Dr.Pradeep Vyas, principal secretary of state public health department, said it has to be increased to 65 percent in December, 70 percent in January, and 75 percent in February. Now, 2,000 more tests are to be added to the daily numbers, which PMC additional commissioner Rubal Agarwal said would be a challenge.