The government widened the testing net for coronavirus to include anyone showing flu-like symptoms in hotspots and containment zones, as the number of infected Indians reached 100,000 on Monday.
Besides, all migrant workers and other returnees with symptoms will be tested within seven days of falling ill, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said.
The ICMR said that anyone showing symptoms of influenza-like illness (ILI), healthcare workers and frontline workers involved in containment and mitigation will be tested.
“All patients of Severe Acute Respiratory lnfection, asymptomatic direct and high-risk contacts of a confirmed case to be tested once between day 5 and day 10 of coming into contact, and all symptomatic ILI within hotspots/containment zones, all hospitalized patients who develop ILI symptoms will be tested,” it said.
According to the updated strategy, all symptomatic individuals with lLl symptoms and a history of international travel in the last 14 days along with all symptomatic contacts of laboratory-confirmed cases will be tested. The revised strategy also said that no emergency medical procedure including deliveries should be delayed for lack of a test.
As the country entered into lockdown 4.0, the government said that India has about 7.1 cases per 100,000 population, compared to 60 per 100,000 worldwide. To be sure the testing rate for India is among the lowest in the world at 1,681 per million population, compared to, for instance, Spain’s nearly 65,000 per million.
Meanwhile, the health ministry on Sunday issued new guidelines to states for categorization of red, orange and green zones.
On Monday, the Union home ministry stated in a letter by Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla to states, the that the current lockdown guidelines have been “issued in supersession to earlier lockdown orders,” with the exception of standard operating procedures that dictate the movement of migrants and Indians stranded abroad.
While the Centre stated that the lockdown measures have been restructured based on the views of state governments following a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 11 May, the home secretary categorically told states that they “cannot dilute restrictions imposed” through the existing guidelines of the MHA.
“I would urge you to ensure compliance of new guidelines and direct all concerned authorities for their strict implementation,” Bhalla said in his letter.
News Source: Livemint