As the number of COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Agartala, the West Tripura district administration has decided to carry out massive testing.
Among the 102 people who have succumbed to the infection in Tripura so far, 51 are from Agartala alone.
Moreover, over 50 per cent of the COVID-19 cases are from the West Tripura district.
The West Tripura district administration has taken a slew of measures to ensure massive testing in the ten select wards- where the positive rate for COVID-19 has gone out of proportion.
An order has been issued by the West Tripura District Magistrate Sailesh Kumar Yadav to ramp up testing in these selected areas.
The wards are 4, 5, 6, 12, 13, 14, 20, 26, 40 and 46 and they have the highest number of COVID-19 cases.
These 10 Wards account for about 70 per cent of the total number of cases detected in the Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) area.
With a target of testing at least one person from each family in these 10 wards, each team has been asked to test at least 50 persons per day.
On being found positive, they would be sent to home isolation and they would be provided with a medicine kit and leaflets that would make them understand as to how they have to follow the isolation period.
For cases which need to be shifted to CCC or DCHC, transportation will be arranged by CMO West Tripura.
As per the order, in consultation with the CMO (Chief Medical Officer) and DSO (District Surveillance Officer) of West Tripura District it has been decided to conduct Rapid Antigen Test in campaign mode in these 10 Wards over a period of next two weeks.
The CMO, West will arrange for some static testing centres at one place in each of these 10 wards.
The health professionals will be pressed into action with adequate testing kits, medicine kits for positive patients.
“Pulse Oximeter for understating oxygen level and adequate vehicles for transportation of positive cases would be also kept in all the testing centres as per requirement. Testing centres will be set up in existing Government buildings like Health Sub-Centre, AWC, School, Ward office, bus shelters assessing the suitable situation”, the order copy stated.