Rajasthan: As Covid cases rise again, sample collections decline

JAIPUR: With a 14.3% increase in daily Covid-19 cases in 24 hours, the state on Wednesday reported 343 new infections, bringing the overall tally to 12,95,218.
Even though Covid-19 cases are rising, only 7,008 samples were collected in the past 24 hours. This prompted health minister Parsadi Lal Meena to express resentment and direct the officials to increase sampling and testing, especially in districts where the positivity rate has risen in the last few days.
“On the one hand, Covid-19 cases are increasing, yet on the other hand the sampling for Covid-19 is very low in many districts. There should be at least 1,000 Covid-19 samples collected in every district per day, and sampling should be more in districts with a high positivity rate,” said Meena.
No Covid-related death was reported in the state in the past 24 hours, and the toll stands at 9,585. Active cases showed a 5.8% increase in the past 24 hours, rising from 2,088 to 2,209.
The number of active cases in Jaipur has been rising over the past few days. In the past 24 hours, they rose from 648 to 715. Jaipur reported more than 100 daily Covid-19 infections for the third consecutive day as 109 new cases were reported in 40 different places on Wednesday. Sanganer reported 11 cases, the highest in the city.
The health department is also concerned about the vaccination drive not picking up pace as expected despite free precautionary doses being provided.
Health secretary Dr Prithvi Raj said that in compliance with the instructions of the health minister, a special campaign would be launched across the state to administer precautionary doses to the beneficiaries.