11 August,2020 07:18 AM IST | Mumbai | Anurag Kamble
The mobile testing van was launched at Vashi on Monday
The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) launched 'Mission Zero Navi Mumbai' on Tuesday to bring COVID-19 testing to people's doorstep in a van. NMMC's mobile testing vans will visit housing societies. The civic is also starting a service to book testing camps in housing complexes on call.
Navi Mumbai has reported over 18,000 positive cases so far, of whom 14,000 people have been discharged. The city is conducting 3,000 tests daily, with 500 of them being RtPCR tests.
Guardian minister of Thane Eknath Shinde, MP Rajan Vichare and civic chief Abhijeet Bangar launched the project on Monday. "We have started antigen tests at all corporation hospitals and 22 urban health centres, but we are still coming across patients who come late for testing," said Bangar. "To ensure early testing, we are taking the antigen test facility to housing societies," he said.
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Six vans fitted with loudspeakers and banners will visit housing societies in the city's 45 hotspots. The staff in the van will educate citizens, create awareness about COVID-19, the importance of testing and announce test schedules for the next day when the testing van will visit the hotspots.
"Our aim is to reduce fear and misconceptions about testing. Some WhatsApp messages and videos have created fear among residents about testing. We are hopeful about dismantling such myths and bringing COVID-19 cases to zero," said Bangar.
3k
No. of tests being done every day in Navi Mumbai
18k
Approx. no. of total COVID-19 cases in Navi Mumbai
Housing societies may call on the following numbers to request antigen testing camps: 1800222309/10 and 022 - 27567060/61
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