Kolkata: Rapid antigen tests for New Town shopkeepers

KOLKATA: The New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) will start conducting rapid antigen test on shopkeepers at NKDA markets and drivers in New Town soon.
NKDA officials said that it was recently decided in the Covid war room to conduct rapid antigen tests of shopkeepers and drivers to check and prevent spread of coronavirus among the people. The process to enlist the names of all the shopkeepers began on Monday.
“The rapid antigen tests will be conducted primarily among shopkeepers and drivers on government duty to prevent the possible spread of the virus. If anybody tests positive, they will be sent to quarantine,” an official said.
Officials said that the selected persons will undergo the rapid antigen test in Bidhannagar sub divisional Hospital at Salt Lake. The process is expected to start off in a few days time. “We are also on the process to procure some rapid antigen test kits in New Town to conduct the test here,” said a NKDA official.
NKDA is also conducting health camps to for Covid screening of construction workers and labourers. As the only containment zone in New Town so far is a construction site, the authorities are taking precautions to identify construction sites across the township where there groups of workers or labourers live together.
“Those with suspected Covid symptoms are being sent for testing at government hospitals. So far, 10 such workers have been shortlisted to be tested,” an official said.
Moreover, a Covid test kiosk has been set up in New Town. It is being operated by two private labs. NKDA is also registering names to for free Covid testing for those who cannot afford the tests.