COVID-19: "Extensive" testing of returnees ups Kolhapur tally
As on Friday, the district has recorded a total of 708 COVID-19 cases and eight deaths.
According to the district administration, of the 708 cases, 601 patients have been discharged from hospitals after recovery.
"Before May 3, we had under 20 cases in the district but post-May 3, but as migrant workers (from Kolhapur) working in various red zones such as Mumbai, Palghar, Thane, Pune and Solapur, started returning to their hometowns, the number of positive patients went up," said collector Daulat Desai.
He said as the flow of intra-state migrant workers increased, the district administration upped screening and testing incoming people.
"We, as a precaution, intercepted them at checkpoints outside Kolhapur and started extensive screening and aggressive swab collection of these people for testing. That is why the number of positive cases shot up in the district post-lockdown relaxations," said Desai.
He said no person coming from outside Kolhapur was allowed to enter the district without screening and if found positive, he/she was directly sent to isolation facilities.
"If found negative, the person was allowed to go to his village but the district administration ensured that the person is strictly quarantined," the bureaucrat said.
As per official data, prior to lockdown relaxation on May 17, the total number of cases in Kolhapur district stood at 55. But by May 20, the figure rose up to 179 with 50 cases (highest single-day spike) recorded on May 20.
"Of the total cases, 99 per cent cases were of migrants. However, scrupulous screening, early detection of cases and treatment yielded positive results. Though we have a higher number of cases, the mortality rate is very low.
"Even though we have a high number of cases, nobody has so far asked us to explain the number as the death rate of COVID-19 patients is under control," the collector said.
He said seven screening parameters such as pulse rate, oxygen saturation, body temperature, respiratory rate, sensorium, blood pressure and ECG were used to detect patients.
Desai said in facta central team recently applauded the measures taken by the district administration to check the coronavirus spread after they observed that the mortality rate was low. SPK RSY RSY