Shivamogga Deputy Commissioner K.B. Shivakumar has said that the test positivity rate has come down to 33% from 47% in the last 15 days in the district due to strict lockdown and declaration of containment zones in areas where cases were reported.
Speaking to presspersons in Shivamogga on Monday, the Deputy Commissioner said that positivity rate was high two weeks ago in the district.
The district administration took steps to stop unnecessary movement of people. “Initially, we noticed a surge in cases in urban pockets of Shivamogga and Bhadravati. Slowly, it spread to rural areas as people from bigger cities returned to villages. The taluk administration under the leadership of tahsildars took note of such cases and initiated strict steps,” he said.
At present, there are around 300 containment zones in the district. Among these, 200 are in rural areas. Wherever more than 15 active cases are found, the administration is declaring such areas as containment zones. “We shifted patients to the nearest COVID-19 Care Centres and have put their primary and secondary contacts in home isolation. The administration has taken steps to ensure that nobody in the containment zone comes out. With such steps, the spread of infection is being countered,” he said.
ASHAs are visiting people in containment zones regularly and keeping track of their health status. They are providing them with necessary medicine. Such effective steps have helped in bringing down the positivity rate, the officer said.
Regarding the deaths, the Deputy Commissioner said that every alternative day the committee under his leadership conducted a death audit and reviewed each case in detail. “Several patients who died had had co-morbidities. Doctors who treated patients felt that late arrival was also among the reasons for the deaths. We are taking steps to ensure early detection and early treatment so that deaths can be brought down,” he said.
The Deputy Commissioner, on Monday, visited several rural places in Sagar taluk to check if containment zones are maintained effectively.
