15 states with COVID-19 positivity rates over 10% told to scale up testing

The health ministry has written to 15 state governments which are reporting over 10% test positivity rate and has directed them to scale up testing and keep a close watch on bed occupancy ratio and spike in cases.

The health ministry has written to Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Praesh, Kerala, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura and West Bengal flagging high test positivity rate in 84 districts.

These districts are reporting over 10% test positivity rate against the all-India average of under 3%. The most number of districts are in Arunachal Pradesh (17), followed by Rajasthan 11, Meghalaya 9, Kerala 8, Andhra Pradesh 8, Assam 4, Himachal Pradesh 1, Manipur 6, Mizoram 2, Nagaland 5, Odisha 4, Puducherry 1, Sikkim 3, Tripura 4 and West Bengal 1.

The health ministry has asked the state governments to strictly follow test, track and treat protocol laid down for these districts.