COVID-19: Wary of second wave in Mumbai, BMC steps up testing

A BMC health official conducts antigen tests in Poisar market at SV Road, Kandivli. Pic/Satej Shind

After the number of tests reduced in Diwali, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has increased testing again, with 11,493 done on Tuesday. The number of antigen tests, used as mass testing, is more than RT-PCR tests. The corporation has also started 244 new centres for testing against the background of the possibility of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

There were on average 13,145 tests every day in October. The all-time high number of tests was 16,723 and 16,636 conducted on October 14 and 24 respectively. The number reduced to merely 5,000 a day on average during Diwali. There were 5,399, 3,918 and 6,539 tests conducted from November 14 to 16 with an average Test Positivity Rate (TPR) of 9.6 per cent. But after the festival, the BMC has geared up for the possibility of the second wave.

On Tuesday, the number of tests doubled. At least 11,493 tests were conducted across the city including approximately 6,500 antigen tests and 5,000 RT-PCR tests. The TPR is down to 7.6 per cent. While the TPR of the antigen tests is one-third of the RT-PCR tests, it is helpful in mass testing to detect the infection within half an hour.

Also read: COVID-19: Mumbai's Cases Count Rises But Casualties See A Fall

The BMC started 244 centres across the city to increase the number of tests due to the fear of chain-infection from reverse migration (people returning to work post Diwali), as the number of cases rose in Delhi. "The corporation has started testing shopkeepers, hawkers, bus conductors along with frontline workers and support staff at hospitals for early detection of cases," said an officer from the BMC.

Also read: COVID-19: Municipal corporations in Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad ban Chhath puja in public places

11,493
No. of tests conducted on Tuesday

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