Asymptomatic Covid-19 cases cause of concern: Rajasthan

 The Congress-ruled Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh on Wednesday expressed concern over growing number of Covid-19 asymptomatic cases.

"The number of asymptomatic patient are rising. It can only be detected through testing, but their's shortage of testing kits," said Rajasthan Health Minister Raghu Sharma while addressing the media in Jaipur.

Chhattisgarh Health Minister T.S. Singh Deo also echoed Sharma.

He also said the Chhattisgarh government had identified 5,666 beds, including a 2,700- bed isolation centre, for phase 2 and 3 of coronavirus. The government would like to bring this number to 7-8,000, he added.

"The state is making arrangements based on the estimates given by experts. From quarantine, isolation facilities to ventilators, we are making all preparations: @TS_SinghDeo," he tweeted.

The Rajasthan Health Minister said by 9 a.m. on Wednesday, there were 1,799 coronavirus cases in the state and attributed the rise to widening of testing. Over 61,500 tests had been done, he added.

The state has set up rapid response teams and issued instructions for 1,00,000 quarantine beds. 57 Covid dedicated hospitals have also been readied in the state.

At the 10 testing facilities in the state, 4,700 tests could be done a day, he said and added, in the next 10 days Rajasthan would be conducting 10,000 RT-PCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) tests a day.

The Rajasthan Chief Minister had directed to facilitate testing in 33 districts, he said.

The state government claimed to be taking care of Covid-19 as well as patients of other diseases and have installed 400 OPD vans with medical staff.

"There is also a facility for pregnant women. We are doing close monitoring. Control rooms have been set in Jaipur as well as all districts. The Chief Minister is doing video conferencing every day," Sharma said. IANS