Bengaluru: BBMP intensifies Covid tests across city
For representational purpose only
Bengaluru: Worried over the surge in Covid-19 cases and fear of Omicron variant spread, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Tuesday organised a Covid testing camp at KSR Railway Station and bus stands.
A total of 15 people who had preliminary contact with a man who came from South Africa were identified, swab samples were collected and sent for laboratory tests. They will be quarantined until the test results of their samples are known. In the meantime, the list of the passengers who arrived seven days ago from 12 countries including South Africa, Hong Kong, Italy, Britain, Germany, Israel and Belgium, was prepared.
Out of 96 passengers who arrived in the city in the past seven days, about 80 were from South Africa. Around 35 are now identified in BBMP limits. The passengers arriving from other countries are rising. Their address and phone number were collected from the international airport and sent to all health authorities. Similarly, a list of foreigners arriving from all countries will be provided to BBMP and their RTPCR test will be conducted regularly.
If found positive, the virus load will be sent to the genome sequencing. The detection of primary infections will start immediately. However, a BBMP official said that no case of Omicron has been confirmed as of now.
There are no direct overseas flights from countries such as Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and other countries where the Omicron is highly prevalent. Most are connecting flights. They come in large numbers from European countries including England. Sources at the Kempegowda International Airport have made it clear that the number has fallen in recent days, with no more than ten people a day.
In the meantime, The respective zonal health authorities, with the help of local staff, visit their range clinics, hospitals, and receive a list of outpatients with coronary artery disease, including SARI (Severe Acute Respiratory Infection), ILI (influenza-like illness). They would call them later and collect the throat fluid sample and test it. A BBMP official informed that hundreds of outpatients have already been tested.