As the number of coronavirus infections in India and Karnataka continues to soar, the positivity rate among both asymptomatic and symptomatic cases over the last week in the State has been the highest in Bengaluru Rural.
Data from the Karnataka State COVID-19 War Room as of September 24 evening shows that the positivity rate among asymptomatic cases in the last seven days since the date of the report in Bengaluru Rural stands at 29.7 — for 2,331 tests conducted and 692 cases. Mysuru had the second highest positivity rate of 26.9 for 7,228 tests and 1,943 cases. Chitradurga, Tumakuru, Hassan, and Shivamogga are among the other districts with higher positivity rates for asymptomatic cases.
Bengaluru Urban, which is the largest contributor to the State’s tally with over two lakh cases, has a positivity rate of 13.8 — the same as Udupi and Yadgir. The number of asymptomatic tests for the same period in the State capital was 1,10,425, and positive asymptomatic cases 15,194.
The least positivity rates for asymptomatic cases were in Kolar (7.5%), Uttara Kannada (10%), and Bidar (10%). Karnataka’s asymptomatic positivity rate is 14.7.
As for symptomatic cases, the positivity rate was highest again in Bengaluru Rural (62.6 — 414 tests and 259 cases), followed by Mysuru (48.4 — 1,110 tests, 537 positives), and Udupi (47.5 — 434 tests and 206 positives).
The State’s positivity rate for the same period was 38.2 — for 20,756 tests and 7,925 positives, while Bengaluru Urban’s was 44.3 — 7,215 tests and 3,197 positives. The least positivity rates were in Ramanagaram (3.3), Bagalkot (10.9), and Haveri (19).
Responding to questions about the positivity rate, Deputy Commissioner of Bengaluru Rural P.N. Ravindra told The Hindu that a temporary drop in testing numbers was a major factor. “The positivity rate increased as the number of tests had dropped briefly due to some reasons. Health workers were on strike for a few days. In addition, there was no supply of RAT kits for some days. Because of all this, testing numbers had dropped from the earlier 500 to 600 tests a day,” he said.
But he said the issues had been resolved. On Saturday, a meeting with various stakeholders had resulted in an action plan for the district as well. “We also received 10,000 RAT kits on Friday. Sunday onwards, testing will be ramped up, including for targeted and vulnerable groups. In two to three days, positivity rate should come down,” he added.
On the other hand, BBMP Commissioner N. Manjunath Prasad said increased testing had decreased the positivity rates in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits.
“The BBMP is making consistent efforts to increase the testing rates and follow syndromic approach (ILI surveys ) to detect areas of transmission. As a result of this, test positivity is decreasing. However, we can’t be complacent as other areas are seeing surge in cases,” he said.