City’s TPR lower than state’s, but testing still a concern
Bhubaneswar: After showing signs of having brought the coronavirus outbreak under control, the capital city has again started recording more and more cases of the virus in June. It even got its first containment zone in almost two months this week. However, the city’s overall test positivity rate or TPR (from March 15 to now) remains below the state’s figure.
The TPR of the city in June is 1.5 per cent. The overall TPR of the city since March 15, when the disease made an appearance in the capital, is 0.74 per cent. June’s test positivity rate of Bhubaneswar is higher than the city’s overall test positivity rate — meaning that a higher chunk of samples tested this month have returned positive.
The capital city has tested around 8,000 samples in June, averaging about 400 a day, and has recorded 120 cases till Sunday. This amounts to a TPR of 1.5 per cent. Since March 15, the city has tested more than 25,000 samples, with 185 returning positive (thus recording a positivity rate of 0.74 per cent). The state overall has tested 2,24,402 samples, of which 5,160 have returned positive. This works out to a TPR of 2.3 per cent.
While a lower TPR is good news for the city, the figure has to be balanced against the number of tests being carried out every day. Testing in the state overall has declined significantly in June in spite of a rise in the number of cases, as it has in Bhubaneswar.
On Sunday, the city reported one positive case, a person from Niladri Vihar. He was under treatment in a private hospital and tested positive for Covid-19. The city also saw seven patients getting discharged from hospital, including a four-year old boy of Patrapada.
The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), which is in charge of Covid management in the city, said there was no room for complacence. “Active surveillance is on in areas that have reported cases and in other areas too,” said a BMC officer in charge of Covid management.
The BMC on Sunday began supplying essentials including milk, grocery and vegetables to Subash Nagar slum in Dumduma area — the city’s newest containment zone — where six people have tested positive.
The BMC on Sunday also tweeted a poll, asking people questions on whether they wore masks while going out or whether they spat in public. The aim of the poll is to bring about behavioural change by generating awareness.