A day after the Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan’s letter asking states to ramp up Covid-19 testing, the Maharashtra government has asked all the districts to further focus on increasing testing amid the possibility of a third wave.
Public health department additional chief secretary Pradep Vyas told the Free Press Journal, "The situation is under control. We are vigilant. 14 districts have a weekly positivity rate of less than 0.5 per cent and the state's weekly positivity rate is 1 per cent. I have informed all districts to further ramp up testing."
According to the government data as of November 23, a total of 6,46,14,934 samples were tested at government and private laboratories. Of these, 5,72,98,827 tested negative (88.68 per cent) and 73,16,607 positive (11.32 per cent).
The state government’s advisory is important as the Centre has emphasised the need to maintain high testing given the recent increase in people travelling to various places on account of marriages, festive celebrations, vacations etc. Further, the Centre has said that there is a need for continued vigil given the unpredictable and contagious nature of the disease.