Address proof and OTP mandatory for testing

TIRUPATI: Unable to trace some people who tested positive for coronavirus, the Chittoor district administration will now make people submit proof of their permanent address and mobile number when they arrive for testing.

The district administration found that several people who were confirmed to be infected could not be traced by health workers to be taken to hospital or placed under home isolation. These people could not be found at Covid hospitals or care centres, and it turned out that they had shared incorrect addresses when giving their samples for testing.

On visiting the addresses they submitted, health workers found that they had been misled. Even calls to the numbers they provided did not return favourable results.

“Efforts to trace such positive cases based on the details they gave at the labs are not yielding results, as many gave wrong addresses or contact numbers. In some cases, addresses in the Aadhaar card are different from the addresses where they live. They are also not responding to our phone calls,” said Chittoor Collector Dr Narayan Bharat Gupta.

To prevent this from happening, he said all labs have been directed to collect proof of a permanent address from people who give their samples for testing. “Also, an OTP will be generated on the registered mobile number of the person who opts for tests, and only after verifying it will tests be conducted,” he added.