The reduction in Test Positivity Rate (TPR) in Mysuru, which helped the district become eligible for certain relaxations in lockdown restrictions from June 26, appears to have come about through a decrease in the number of daily COVID-19 infections and a substantial increase in testing.
When the State government began a phased unlocking of COVID-19 restrictions from June 14 across Karnataka based on the weekly moving average TPR, Mysuru was among 11 districts with high TPR, where the restrictions were continued.
A weekly moving average TPR of less than 10% was necessary for districts to become eligible for partial unlocking, and a TPR of less than 5% for additional relaxations.
When the second phase of unlocking was announced with effect from June 21, Mysuru missed the bus again. With a TPR of 12.11%, Mysuru became the only district in Karnataka to be classified as Category III that was not eligible for any relaxations.
However, Mysuru district finally became eligible for unlocking, albeit partially, on June 25 when its weekly moving average TPR was 7.42% as per the Karnataka State COVID-19 War Room report of June 25. Incidentally, Mysuru’s TPR on June 25 was lesser than Kodagu’s 8.55%, which was the highest in the State.
The gradual reduction in daily infections was complemented by desperate efforts of the district administration to achieve the targeted TPR of less than 10% by increasing swab collection and testing amid growing pressure from the trade and services sector for relaxation of the tough lockdown restrictions.
While the weekly cases in Mysuru district dipped from 8,281 (four weeks ago) to 6,436 (three weeks ago) before coming down to 3,977 two weeks ago and to 3,214 last week, as per the Karnataka State COVID-19 War Room report of June 25, the number of daily tests saw a substantial increase over the last one month.
From just 3,500 to 4,000 tests per day during May, the daily tests were increased to around 5,000 to 6,000 in the first week of June. Last week, the district administration revised its daily target for testing to 9,700 even as health officials struggled to gather the necessary number of swab samples needed to meet the target.
While announcing the partial easing of lockdown in Mysuru on June 25, Deputy Commissioner Bagadi Gautham claimed that the daily testing had crossed 10,000 in Mysuru district.
“It is basic arithmetic to increase the denominator to bring down the TPR. That strategy was to increase the testing to reduce the TPR,” an official in the Health department admitted.
Apart from the routine testing of people with symptoms, Influenza-Like Illness (ILI), their primary and secondary contacts, health officials have been asked to screen even people coming for vaccinations. Now, the staff of KSRTC have been asked to undergo an RT-PCR test and submit a negative report before reporting for duty from June 28. Even shopkeepers in various market complexes owned by Mysuru City Corporation’s (MCC) have been asked to obtain an RT-PCR negative certificate for themselves and their staff.
