The two-day mass testing drive planned by the Health Department as part of intensifying the fight against COVID-19 will begin in the district on Friday. Arrangements are in place to organise special camps in public places, including malls, markets, bus stands and hospitals, in such a way to cover 40,000 people in two days.
The main aim of the drive, which was announced by District Collector Seeram Sambasiva Rao during an online meeting with medical officers and Local Self-Government Department secretaries here on Thursday, is to find out the maximum number of virus carriers, ensure their quick quarantine and proper treatment. It also aims at reducing death rates.
During the two-day special drive, health squads will ensure that all those who actively took part in election campaigns make use of the service. Apart from reaching out to elderly citizens and those suffering from various other ailments, the drive will cover Kudumbashree workers, professional college students and teachers.
10,000 tests
Owners of commercial establishments and institutions will be responsible for facilitating COVID tests of their staff members on regular intervals. Taxi drivers and hotel employees also will have to undergo such tests facilitated by their employers. Health Department officials point out that the total number of tests conducted in Kozhikode district a day is now 10,000.
Mr. Rao, who called upon local administrators and health workers to step up vigil against the pandemic, also issued a special directive to local body secretaries to strengthen the activities of ward-level Rapid Response Teams. Apart from improving crowd control measures, more first-line treatment centres would be set up to meet the challenge, he said.
The district administration came up with a quick action plan noticing a dangerous spike in the number of positive cases within the last two weeks. According to Health Department officials, the test positivity rate scaled up in a short time. Though there was a considerable drop in the number of such cases, it was found increasing after the elections as people were reluctant to follow safety measures and health protocol, they pointed out.
