Bhubaneswar: With the city still report 250 to 300 new cases every day, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has doubled the number of tests carried out by a cellular team from 500 to 1,000.
The mobile testing team is accompanied by an enforcement team, if people show reluctance to undergo the required test.
Van cellular testing parked at the market entrance every day and vendors, regardless of symptoms, were asked to provide their swab samples.
The results were intimate to them via SMS, after the response team quickly swung in action and began to browse infected contacts.
Those who tested were positively asked to stay in isolation.
BMC Super Commissioner Laxmikanta Sethi said, “Increasing the number of cellular tests has helped identify and isolate infected people.
Many of the vendors, have permanent stores, and those who have a pushcart and emergency stalls do not experience Covid tests voluntarily.
Mandatory testing By cellular teams will continue until the city sees a sharp decline in the number of daily infections.
“Of the 6,000 samples tested every day on average, cellular testing facilities accounted for around 1,000 using a fast antigen kit.
BMC Deputy Commissioner SUVENDU Sahu said, “In the second wave so far, the level of infection in the city slums is very low compared to other housing areas.”