The district administration will hold a daylong special Covid testing drive on Tuesday, August 18, deputy commissioner Chhavi Ranjan announced on Sunday, explaining that the move was to boost testing in the capital by scanning a large section of the untapped population.

Talking to reporters, Ranjan said that the drive, using rapid antigen kits, would be held across 20 centres that would be set up at strategic locations to cover the length and breadth of the capital. He appealing to public step forward and give their samples.

"In addition to the existing Covid testing process which is underway on a daily basis, we have decided to hold a daylong mega drive on August 18 to cover vulnerable pockets. This will also help in timely detection of more cases for preventive steps."

The locations identified for testing include CMPDI (Kanke Road), Jharkhand High Court, Red Cross building (Morabadi), Hotwar jail, Marwari Bhawan (Ratu Road), Sainik Market (Main Road), the warehouse near Kanke CHC, block offices in Ratu, Nagri, Namkum, Silli, Angara, and Piska.

Tests will also be done at 10-plus high school in Mandar, middle school in Bero, Beer Budhubhagat Inter College in Chanho, Bundu sub-divisional Hospital, community health centres in Tamar and Sonahatu.

Ranjan appealed to people to follow social distancing norms and wear mandatory masks while turning up for providing samples.

As per Sunday night's bulletin, Ranchi's tally rose to 4,376 cases of which 2,101 are active and 39 have died since the virus outbreak.