CHANDIGARH GOES SLOW ON COVID-19 TESTING

CHANDIGARH: In the last two weeks, the UT health department has gone slow on testing even though curbs on movement have been removed and fresh cases are being reported from erstwhile uninfected areas.

UT has tested just 1,448 people since June 1. Comparatively, 2,279 samples were tested between May 15 and May 31. The average number of tests conducted daily have gone from 134 to 85 per day.

As per data, when more people were being tested, the positivity rate decreased from 7% to 6%. The positivity rate tells us how many tests were done in a day, divided by how many people tested positive that day. After May 31, however, the positivity rate has been constant at 6%.

In the month of May, UT conducted 58% of the total tests conducted since the outbreak. As a result, in May alone, 55.7% of the total positive cases came to the fore.

Chandigarh is also faring low on tests per million population as compared to the neighbouring states. For every 1 million people in Chandigarh, 5,187 people were tested, the lowest among the states of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.

Punjab has conducted 6,638 tests per million population, Haryana, 6,746, and Himachal Pradesh has 7,686 tests per million.

UT health secretary Arun Gupta said testing was being carried out as per the guidelines of Indian Council of Medical Research.

Meanwhile, fresh cases have been reported from new areas like Khuda Ali Sher, Khudda Jassu and Khudda Lahora and Daria village in Chandigarh.