New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry has flagged the decline in COVID-19 testing in several states and union territories and asked them to increase it strategically keeping in mind the trend of case positivity in specific areas.
Arti Ahuja, Additional Secretary, Union Health Ministry said, “It is up to all States/UTs to ensure that an effective track of the spread of the pandemic is kept and immediate citizen-centric action initiated. Increase testing.” A letter to the states.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare asked all States/UTs to “immediately scale up testing in a strategic manner keeping in view the trend of positivity in specific areas in the States/UTs”. pic.twitter.com/oHSf8B0Efy
— ANI (@ANI) 18 January 2022
In the letter, the Center insisted that omicron The type of coronavirus was currently spreading across the country.
The ministry said testing remains an important and critical component. “However, the data available on the ICMR portal shows that there has been a decline in testing in several states and union territories,” the letter said.
The Ministry said that the basic objective is early detection of COVID cases for speedy isolation and care.
“Testing is an important strategy for epidemic management as it helps to identify new clusters and new hotspots of infection which in turn can facilitate immediate action for prevention such as establishment of containment zones, contact tracing, Quarantine, isolation and follow-up,” the letter said.
The ministry said that this would help the state and district administrations to contain the spread of Covid and ensure reduction in mortality and morbidity.
“The progression of the disease to a severe category can be prevented by strategic testing of people who are at high risk and more vulnerable, as well as areas where spread is likely to be high,” the letter said. Having said.
The ministry said that in community settings, all people who are symptomatic and all at-risk contacts of laboratory-confirmed cases should also be tested.
“Strategic and focused testing should be done of those who are vulnerable, living in closed environment, emerging new clusters in densely populated areas and new hotspots of positive cases etc,” the ministry said.
India recorded 2,38,018 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday. Active cases have risen to 17,36,628, the highest in 230 days, while the death toll has risen to 4,86,761 with 310 fresh deaths.
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