Punjab slows down on testing after pilgrims’ arrival

CHANDIGARH: Punjab has witnessed a sharp decline in Covid-19 testing since the return of Sikh pilgrims to Takht Hazur Sahib in Maharashtra’s Nanded more than a week ago, reveals the state health department’s daily status report.

The low testing has raised eyebrows as more than 12,000 Punjabis, including nearly 4,200 Nanded devotees, who were stuck outside Punjab amid the lockdown, were allowed to enter the state since April 26 when the state government tested 1,965 samples, the highest in a day so far.

On April 29, the department tested only 690 samples, the lowest in the last 10 days. On April 30, May 1, May 2, May 3 and the following day, 1,596, 936, 881, 1,094 and 1,098 samples were tested, respectively, the report says.

As per the health department’s media bulletin, of the 14,228 samples collected in the state between April 26 and May 4, test reports of 11,427 have been received.

This despite the fact that the government claims have a testing capacity of 2,500 samples a day while having roped in a private player, Path Labs, for the purpose five days back.

Till Tuesday, the health department was able to test only 2,900 Nanded pilgrims of which 969 have turned out to be positive.

“At a time when testing should have been increased manifold keeping in view the high percentage of Nanded-returned pilgrims getting infected, low testing could be a tactic not to show a sudden jump in Covid-19 cases as number of positive patients will also increase,” a senior health department official said.

Chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh has already instructed the department to increase the testing capacity to 6,000 a day by May 15.

A senior health department official said testing figures are not properly updated as the district health authorities could not give data on the samples taken by Path Labs.

“Nearly 4,400 samples taken by Path Labs are not included in the data as the district authorities could not update us on this. Path Labs sends samples to Delhi and their testing takes more time than our facilities in Punjab,” said health department’s Covid-19 spokesperson Dr Rajesh Bhaskar.