Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said on Friday that the Covid-19 tests would be carried out even in those districts where cases were not reported till date, to assess the prevalence of the disease.
Following a meeting with senior ministers, Yediyurappa said that officials were directed to test patients with symptoms for Covid-19, even in districts where cases have not been reported. “In 11 districts, there are no cases. But, we will have to test to assess how prevalent the disease was,” he said.
In order to augment the testing capabilities of the government, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) will approve 10 additional labs in the state, he said, citing its recent guidelines to set up two testing centres in each district.
Karnataka will also come up with an app to ease the process of testing for those with fever, cold and breathing problems, which are known to have Covid-19 symptoms.
The government has also urged patients with Covid-19 symptoms to get tested immediately, as many patients came forward on average four days after developing symptoms. “Please visit a doctor as soon as you develop Covid-19 symptoms,” Yediyurappa said.
Discussions were also held during the day on strategies to be adopted in the event of spike in cases post the lockdown.