Despite the COVID cases taking a regular toll across Maharashtra, including Pune, the Pune Municipal Corporation has not been able to increase the testing numbers under its jurisdiction. There have been almost no visible attempts by the PMC to better the testing capacity.

They are not able to test more people at this point in time because people are not turning up for testing at centres, according to the PMC. There is a requirement for a fresh information and education campaign, they said. The low testing numbers are the results of reduced contact tracing and PMC should get aggressive and utilise this time to control Covid’s spread, according to experts. 

This comes at a time when the Supreme Court has ordered Delhi, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Assam to present a report on the status of their preparation to handle a surge in the number of Covid cases. The scenario might turn worse in the next month if the states are not well prepared, according to the SC.

Dr Ashish Bharati, head of the civic body’s health department told the Pune Mirror, “We are testing symptomatic people. Citizens are not turning up for testing. We cannot force anyone to get tested. We are doing contact tracing and those tests are being conducted on regular basis. But along with this, there is a need for starting IEC on an extensive level again so that citizens start getting serious and go for testing.”

The plan to test super-spreaders is yet to see the light. Experts have alerted about this situation. When the number of positive patients comes down, only then will contact tracing be reduced. Dr Dileep Navale, medical director of Navale Hospital said, “We are testing more than what WHO has stated. On that basis, the percentage of positivity is low. The increase in the number of cases is the result of super-spreader event of Diwali.”

This is a contagious disease. Dr Sanjay Patil of the Indian Medical Association said, “In the last two days, 370 and 411 people have tested positive. The civic body cannot show a callous attitude at this point. If people are not turning up for testing then PMC must reach out.”

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