Bengaluru: Karnataka may be inviting another wave of COVID-19 in the state by reducing the number of tests from 1.9 lakh daily a month ago to over 93,000 now, warned a member of the state COVID-19 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC).
The state had conducted 97,236 tests on Monday out of which 38,603 people were found to be positive whereas on Tuesday 93,247 tests were done and 30,309 people tested positive.
This was in sharp contrast to 1.72 lakh tests on April 28 and 1.9 lakh on April 24.
Batting for extensive COVID-19 tests, Dr Giridhara R Babu, a TAC member and Professor of Epidemiology at the Public Health Foundation of India, said those who have not been tested yet could be spreading the infections further.
"In a way we are inviting third wave because people are spreading the infection and that will continue to fast transmit and then it will result in more people getting infected and we cannot solve this problem.
The only solution right now is to test extensively," Babu told PTI.
To a question whether reducing tests was a cost-cutting measure of the government, Babu said lives lost cannot be compared to the test kit price.
"How do you cut cost? I am told that there is Rs 30 per kit, which is least in terms of price now.
When the test kits are so economical why they (government) have not scaled up buying? This is the best time buy the kits," the epidemiologist said.
He expressed concern over the reduction in the number tests in Bengaluru from six lakh a week to two lakh a week now.
"This is not a nice thing. It doesn't help, according to me.
Every test denied is a denied opportunity for entire life of a person, especially for the vulnerable. If the government doesn't test, vulnerable may not test positive.