Highlighting the decline in COVID-19 testing in a number of states and union territories over the previous few days, the Union Health Ministry has directed the native well being departments to extend the testing charges retaining in thoughts the positivity of the case.
Additional well being secretary Aarti Ahuja, with out particularly naming any state or union territory, advised state well being secretaries that the ICMR portal knowledge confirmed a drop in testing throughout areas. India performed 16.49 lakh Tests on Monday. However, the nation’s weekly positivity stays round 15 per cent. The day by day positivity fee stood at 14.43 per cent on Monday.
“As you are aware, Omicron which is designated…as the concern as it is currently spreading across the country…remains an important and vital component of the testing framework. However, on the ICMR portal Available data shows that there has been a decline in testing in many states and union territories,” Ahuja stated.
Ministry reiterates to states new ICMR tips on COVID-19 testing issued after emergence of extremely transmissible omicron variant – all those that are symptomatic and all at-risk contacts of laboratory-confirmed circumstances needs to be examined needs to be examined.
The ministry, in its communication to states on growing the testing fee, highlighted that it stays an necessary technique in pandemic administration for 2 broad causes. “Identification of new clusters and new hotspots of infection, which in turn can facilitate immediate action for containment… This can enable the district administration to contain the spread of infection,” Ahuja stated.
She defined that early testing ensures a discount in mortality and morbidity. “Progression into a severe category of a disease can be prevented by strategic testing of people who are at higher risk and more vulnerable, as well as areas where spread is likely to be high.”
The ministry additionally advised the states that within the rising new clusters, folks residing in closed environments and densely populated areas needs to be examined. “To ensure that an effective track of the spread of the pandemic is kept and immediate citizen centric action initiated, it is up to the states to increase testing,” the ministry knowledgeable.
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
