BBMP to restart mobile testing, increase vaccination centres in city

BENGALURU: With reports of a massive surge in Covid-19 infections in China and other countries, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike is taking precautions to prevent the spread of the disease here.

As part of these efforts, mobile testing centres will be restarted and mobile vaccination centres will be increased. Hostels and paying guest accommodations where people from outside the state and country are residing will be closely monitored and a 24/7 vigil will be maintained at the city’s borders. More number of marshals will be deployed to ensure Covid-appropriate behaviour and houses where fresh cases are detected will be immediately sanitised.

The civic body also plans to elicit information on the staff at hotels, restaurants and theatres being fully vaccinated and it will deploy more health staff at railway stations and the airport for testing of passengers. At the ward level, awareness will be created using megaphones fitted in autorickshaws.

The BBMP has also issued a circular to its health staff to compulsorily conduct Covid-19 tests on patients detected with ILI/SARI symptoms. Those aged above 60 years and with comorbidities should mandatorily undergo tests and those eligible have been directed to take the vaccine dose.

Samples of all Covid-positive cases where the CT value is more than 25, should be sent for genome sequencing and primary health centre staff should go door to door and encourage people to take the precautionary dose. Those with any symptoms should immediately be tested and where a positive case is detected, the primary and secondary contacts too should be tested, the circular said.