Maharashtra: Low contact tracing in districts with high positivity rate sparks concern

PUNE: Some districts in the state, with high Covid test positivity rates, are still not tracing enough close contacts per confirmed case.
Maharashtra currently tracks an average of 16 people for every patient. But some key districts — including Pune, Nagpur, Ahmednagar and Kolhapur — are tracing lower than the average. In Pune district, for example, authorities are tracing an average of just 13 close contacts per case.
Concerned officials from the health department said they have asked all local authorities to step up surveillance, especially in light of the Delta variant, which experts have said is more infectious.
State health minister Rajesh Tope has said that a minimum of 20 contacts must be traced per patient.
According to data shared by the state health department, only Thane and Latur are tracing a good number of contacts, at an average of 23 and 46 persons, respectively (the highest in the state).
The Centre too had called for adequate tracing, testing and isolation. “Increasing contact tracing is very important. There should not be any setback in the numbers being traced,” a health ministry official said.
The health department’s data shows most districts are tracing less than the state average of 16 close contacts per patient — six high-risk and 10 low-risk. Officials said the ideal number should be more than 20, to ensure clusters are stopped from forming.
Pune district, with an average of 13 contacts traced (and among regions seeing a high number of cases), has also been asked to scale up contact tracing. Only about three high-risk contacts per patient are being traced in the district currently.
State task force members said tracking and testing of contacts are vital. “Contact tracing should be enhanced to 1:30 and 1:50. The current numbers are very poor. We cannot be lethargic on this front,” said task force member Dr Shashank Joshi.
Members said examples such as Kolhapur, with a high positivity rate despite increased vaccination coverage, mean authorities have to watch out for breakthrough infections — Covid after inoculation.