‘COVID-19 tests to be increased in Bengaluru’

Bengaluru: Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka Dr C N Ashwath Narayan on Monday directed the civic officials here to increase the number of COVID-19 tests to 10,000 per day in view of the surge in the contagion.

At present, 6,000 people are being tested everyday and this will be enhanced to 8,000 with immediate effect.

Measures have also been taken to further increase them to 10,000 tests,’ Narayan said in a statement after a meeting with the officials of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike.

The Deputy Chief Minister underlined the need to trace at least 20 primary and secondary contacts of the infected persons and conduct the tests on them.

Ruling out the possibility of lockdown, he said there was no such proposal.

‘The stance of the government is that both life and livelihood are important and strict measures have been taken accordingly,’ he said.