The city this week recorded the highest number of tests—19,018—conducted in a single day. The number of tests has been increased to prevent a second wave. The average number of tests in the last 10 days post-Diwali reached beyond 15,000. But, the test positivity rate has continued to be low, with fewer cases emerging out of slum pockets.

Post-Diwali, the BMC started exhaustive testing in crowded areas like markets, slum pockets and railway stations. This has resulted in a sharp increase in the number of tests with close to 20,000 a day—a target set in August by the BMC.