The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare on Tuesday directed all states to immediately increase testing in a strategic manner keeping in view the trend of case positivity in specific areas.
New Delhi: Concerned over the decline of testing in several states and Union Territories, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare on Tuesday directed all states to immediately increase testing in a strategic manner keeping in view the trend of case positivity in specific areas
“In order to ensure that an effective track of the spread of the pandemic is kept and also immediate citizen centric action is initiated, it is incumbent upon all States/UTs to enhance testing. I am sure you will pay attention to this aspect immediately and increase the testing in a strategic manner keeping in view the trend of case positivity in specific geographies within in your State/UTS,” the order reads.
Some key highlights from the letter:
- Identification of new clusters and new hotspots of infection which can in turn facilitate immediate action for containment such as setting up of containment zones, contact tracing quarantining isolation and follow up. This can enable the State and district administration to curb the spread of infection
- Ensuring reduction in mortality and morbidity. Progression of disease to a severe category can be averted by strategic testing of those who are at high risk and more vulnerable, as well as in areas where the spread is likely to be higher.
- I would like to re-iterate the advisory on purposive testing strategy issued by ICMR on 10 January 2022. As per the strategy, in community settings
- All those who are symptomatic must be tested.
- All at risk contacts of laboratory confirmed cases must also be tested.
Delhi on Monday reported 12,527 fresh cases of Covid-19, over 6,000 fewer than seen the day before, as per the daily health bulletin. The decline in the absolute number of cases, however, has been because of the fewer tests conducted on Sunday as reported in the next day’s bulletin. According to the reports, the number of tests conducted has been reducing in Delhi since the new ICMR testing guidelines were introduced.
West Bengal:
The number of new cases was at 14,938 on Sunday, as against 19,064 on Saturday and 22,645 on Friday.The number of samples tested also witnessed a decline at 53,876 on Sunday as against 64,572 on Saturday and 72,725 on Friday. The total number of Covid-19 cases stood at 18,97,699 on January 16. The test positivity rate was 27.73 per cent, according to the state health bulletin.
