COVID-19: Cases on decline, but NMMC to boost testing

It seems both Navi Mumbai and Panvel are on the path to recovery as daily COVID cases have fallen below 100 in both areas. With a decrease in the number of symptomatic patients, daily tests too have been reduced to almost a third of what was being conducted even a week back. However, the authorities concerned plan to conduct surprise checks and intensify testing in crowded areas, because they fear that asymptomatic patients might spread the virus and bring about a second wave of the infection.

Sources said that due to a fall in the number of symptomatic patients, fewer people were coming forward for COVID-19 tests. Both Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) and Panvel Municipal Corporation (PMC) recorded the lowest number of daily cases on Monday. The daily cases that used to be more than 300 in NMMC and 200 in PMC have fallen below the 100 mark. The NMMC has not reported more than 100 fresh cases in the last three days, while PMC has been continuously recording less than 100 cases for almost a month now.

Requesting anonymity, an NMMC official said, "We are conducting 1,000 tests per day, out of which 60 per cent are RtPCR and the remaining are antigen. A week ago we were doing about 2,500 to 3,000 tests daily, but as the number of symptomatic patients decreased, the tests have been reduced to one-third. As more and more people are getting asymptomatic, the daily tests and daily cases have reduced."

The NMMC reported 61 cases on Monday, whereas PMC recorded just 19 infections. The fall in daily cases also had an impact on the total number of active cases. The NMMC currently has 1,115 active cases and PMC 445.

"As the number of symptomatic patients are decreasing, we fear that many asymptomatic carriers might spread the virus. So we plan to conduct surprise tests in crowded places such as APMC and MIDC. It will help us keep a tab on the infection. As people have stopped coming forward for tests, we have to go to them," said another NMMC official.

Also Read: Daily mouthwash may inactivate human coronaviruses: Study

COVID-19 numbers

NMMC
Total cases - 46,222
Total deaths - 942
Active cases - 1,115

PMC
Total cases - 24,447
Total deaths - 567
Active cases - 445

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