Punjab’s positivity rate goes down despite spike in cases
Health department attributes fall to increased testing in the state
CHANDIGARH: Even as Punjab witnessed an average 100 coronavirus cases a day in June, the state’s positivity rate of 1.8% has remained well below the national average of 6.5%.
Positivity rate is the number of persons found positive against the total samples tested. The state has reported 3,117 new cases of infection since June 1.
The analysis of the figures compiled by the health department in its daily Covid-19 report reveal that the state’s positivity rate, which was 2.5% on June 1 with 2,301 cases out of 91,113 samples tested, fell down to 1.7% on June 15. It was 1.8% on June 29 with a total of 3,267 positive cases against 1,88,699 tests.
On May 25, the rate was 3.1% when the state had reported 2,060 cases against 66,142 tests.
Interestingly, even as the state ramped up its testing to an average 8,000 a day but there was no major increase in the positivity rate.
While on June 25, the rate dipped to 1.8% at 4,769 cases against 2,69,037 tests, it was 1.84% on June 29 with 5,418 cases against 2,94,448 samples tested.
Till Monday, a total of 83,98,362 samples were tested across the country of which 5,48, 318 people were found positive, with a positivity rate of 6.5%.
“We have doubled our testing capacity this month. But the positivity rate of the state has not changed much. Cases increased due to increase in testing which means no infections remain undetected,” Punjab Covid-19 nodal officer Dr Rajesh Bhaskar said.
PUNJAB’S POSITIVITY RATE, WHICH IS NUMBER OF PERSONS FOUND POSITIVE AGAINST TOTAL SAMPLES TESTED, IS WELL BELOW THE NATIONAL AVERAGE OF 6.5%; STATE REPORTED 3,117 NEW CASES OF INFECTION SINCE JUNE 1