Jamshedpur, Oct 28: With Diwali round the corner, the district administration has decided to focus on conducting more tests. The idea is to get more results and track the virus carriers.
The Deputy Commissioner Suraj Kumar has asked its team to work on an action plan so that there is no spike in fresh cases. He iterated that the next 10 days are crucial and he directed all the officials to expedite corona testing in coming days.
�About 115 people were tested positive during 5000 tests conducted in last three days. We fear that if people continue to flout norms of social distancing the cases might jump again,� said an official. He added that though the daily rise in coronavirus cases in the city are on the decline but the numbers could again surge during Diwali festival.
In Jamshedpur 16 sample collection-cum-test centres have been identified for the rapid antigen tests, whereas in the rural areas of the district 160 such centres have been set up.
The official explained that rapid antigen tests detect the presence of viral proteins (antigens) expressed by the Covid-19 virus in a sample taken from the respiratory tract of a person. ” The result of the test is made available within 15 minutes, ” he said adding that the objective is to trace, track and treat Covid positive patients. The East singhbhum health department has intensified the rapid antigen test drive keeping in view the spurt in covid-19 cases.
He further added that people should not expect any relief till the Diwali festival is over. People tend to go out more during this period, increasing the chances of exposure as well as spreading infection. The slight decline in daily cases in the last few days should not be interpreted as end of the virus.
The official said that the department is also taking several preventive measures in view of the festive season. People who are visiting markets are being subjected to random testing. The department has set up a target to conduct more tests in the next 24 hours.
Meanwhile, DC congratulated the officials of the district for successfully maintaining law and order during Durga Puja. He said that the team made a significant contribution beyond the personal capacity by keeping a strict vigil on the law and order during the puja, which is worth mentioning.
Kumar said that there has been very few cases of corona infection in the district in the last few days but we should not stop here, next 10 days are very important for the district administration. He directed all the concerned officials to expedite the corona test by preparing an action plan like earlier so that more people can be undergo Covid-19 test.