BENGALURU: Even as Karnataka is struggling to contain the unprecedented spread of coronavirus, the authorities said more than 3,000 people who have tested positive in Bengaluru are “untraceable.”
“From the beginning till now, there have been 3,338 people whose samples at the labs returned positive, but they are untraceable. We’re working on addressing the issue,” BBMP commissioner N Manjunath Prasad told TOI.
Probe said these patients had given wrong cellphone numbers and addresses. “If one of the two was correct, we could have traced them,” he added.
The BBMP has now instructed all labs to ascertain the mobile numbers of people giving samples for tests through a one-time-password (OTP) so as to enable tracking. Apart from OTPs, labs will now collect copies of their identity cards and address proof.
The issue of multiple people providing wrong contact details had come up for discussion at a meeting chaired by chief minister BS Yediyurappa last week. As on Saturday, Bengaluru accounts for 48% of the total positive cases in the state, while it has 57% of the active cases.
The issue of missing patients has doubled the burden of authorities who are already dealing with poor bed management and tracing of contacts.
TOI had last week reported that the whereabouts of over 11,000 Covid-19 patients were not being reflected in the state’s official data.
As on July 22, the city had 27,969 active cases in Bengaluru. While the total number of beds in hospitals, including Covid care centres, was 13,012, only 6,498 of them were occupied. This apart, 10,319 patients were in home isolation. While the number of patients in hospitals and home isolation added to 16,817, the number of active cases in the city was 27,969. The remaining 11,152 patients were not reflected in the data.
“From the beginning till now, there have been 3,338 people whose samples at the labs returned positive, but they are untraceable. We’re working on addressing the issue,” BBMP commissioner N Manjunath Prasad told TOI.
Probe said these patients had given wrong cellphone numbers and addresses. “If one of the two was correct, we could have traced them,” he added.
The BBMP has now instructed all labs to ascertain the mobile numbers of people giving samples for tests through a one-time-password (OTP) so as to enable tracking. Apart from OTPs, labs will now collect copies of their identity cards and address proof.
The issue of multiple people providing wrong contact details had come up for discussion at a meeting chaired by chief minister BS Yediyurappa last week. As on Saturday, Bengaluru accounts for 48% of the total positive cases in the state, while it has 57% of the active cases.
The issue of missing patients has doubled the burden of authorities who are already dealing with poor bed management and tracing of contacts.
TOI had last week reported that the whereabouts of over 11,000 Covid-19 patients were not being reflected in the state’s official data.
As on July 22, the city had 27,969 active cases in Bengaluru. While the total number of beds in hospitals, including Covid care centres, was 13,012, only 6,498 of them were occupied. This apart, 10,319 patients were in home isolation. While the number of patients in hospitals and home isolation added to 16,817, the number of active cases in the city was 27,969. The remaining 11,152 patients were not reflected in the data.
Coronavirus outbreak
Trending Topics
LATEST VIDEOS
More from TOI
Navbharat Times
Featured Today in Travel
Get the app