State crosses 2-lakhtestcount, halfconductedinlastfortnight

ENHANCING CAPACITY Got third highest number of tests done among all states in last 2 weeks, claims health dept

CHANDIGARH : Punjab has completed 2 lakh Covid-19 tests of which half were conducted in the last fortnight, in what is being seen as an outcome of the state health department’s efforts at having ramped up the testing capacity to detect infections, particularly cases of community transmission.

On Wednesday (June 17), the state’s tally of total tests done was 2,08,408 against the June 3 figure of 1, 01,036 as the state’s daily has gone up significantly.

Nearly 10,000 tests have been conducted daily in the past few days as compared to 4,000-4,500 a day in the first week of the month.

SURPASSES HARYANA

Punjab on Thursday surpassed Haryana in total number of tests done, with the neighouring state’s tally reaching 1,97,703 on Wednesday.

On June 3, Haryana with a total of 1,26,222 tests was far ahead of Punjab which had conducted 1,01,036 tests by then. As Testing in the worst-hit states like Delhi and Gujarat with surge in case decreased whereas Punjab increased the same, claim state health department officials. per claims by health department officials, after Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, Punjab was the only state to have conducted more than 1 lakh tests in the last 15 days.

The health officials claim that while testing in most states decreased with the surge in cases, Punjab kept increasing its capacity. “Testing in the worst-hit states like Delhi and Gujarat has decreased whereas we have increased the same,” said a senior health official.

State Covid-19 nodal officer Dr Rajesh Bhaskar said Punjab’s testing per million increased to 6,867 on Wednesday (June 17) while the number was 4,644 on June 13, and 3,096 on June 3.

“There is no data of other states available as of now but I am sure we have surpassed Haryana and we are among top four in testing per million,” Dr Bhaskar added.

Figures also suggest that the state is not relying much on private laboratories for sample testing as 98% of the testing was done in the governmentrun facilities.

Of the private players, only PathLabs conducted tests in Punjab at a time when state witnessed a sudden surge in positive cases with the return of Sikh pilgrims from Takht Hazur Sahib Maharshtra’s Nanded.

WHO ALL ARE BEING TESTED?

Besides the contacts of those found positive and people coming from outside the state, all frontline workers of the health and police departments, pregnant women, high-risk patients and patients reporting to the flu corners are being tested.

“Our next objective is to test vegetable vendors and others involved in providing essential services to people during the lockdown,” said the state Covid-19 nodal officer.

Health and family welfare minister Balbir Sidhu said the department is planning to increase testing it further in coming days. “The number of tests is encouraging,” he said.

(* As per latest data received from field till 10pm)