'People buying Covid self test kits must cite correct address to chemists'

kolkata: Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is all set to intensify awareness programme to urge people to provide their correct residential addresses to chemist shops from where they are buying kits and conducting Covid tests themselves.

Kolkata Deputy Mayor Atin Ghosh conducted a meeting with Borough X Chairman Jui Biswas, where the containment zone was highest till Wednesday, along with Member Mayor-in-Council (MMIC) Parks and Gardens and Parking department, Debasish Kumar, and police personnel and chalked out plans to curb COVID-19 positive rate in the city at KMC health office along Prince Anwar Shah Road on Thursday.

"Many people, especially in multi-storey buildings, are testing with the home kits on having slight symptoms on their own. As a result, the KMC is not getting any specific information about the Covid affected people or their symptoms," said Ghosh.

If anyone has Covid symptoms, then the person should be examined at the health centre of KMC. "You cannot be admitted to the hospital without the Covid test report from the municipality or hospitals," pointed out Ghosh.

This apart, reports from private labs are not coming to KMC. So, the Deputy Mayor urged people to undergo RT-PCR test from the right place.

Chairmen of various boroughs of KMC will meet the officials of the multi-storey societies (demarcated as Containment zones) from Friday. Society officials should take special care so that barricades are not removed or containment zone banners erected by the Kolkata Police are not removed.

On Wednesday, the number of containment zones in the city dropped to 33 from 44 with Borough X alone having 12 of these zones. New Alipore, Jadavpur, Jodhpur Park and Lake Gardens have been identified as hotspots when it comes to Covid infection cases in the city.

"The list of places will be prepared and then we will visit the skyscrapers (demarcated as containment zones)," said Biswas.