Friday, March 29, 2024

Punjab

On an average 2088 samples taken in Punjab during this week

PUNJAB NEWS EXPRESS | May 24, 2020 10:10 PM

CHANDIGARH: With the view to further increase the testing procedure in State, the Punjab Government has taken several initiatives. Now, on an average 2088 samples are being taken during this week of May to ensure the 100 percent contact tracing of high and low risk persons.

Disclosing this here today, the Health & Family Welfare Minister Mr. Balbir Singh Sidhu said that currently, Punjab has witnessed cases of COVID-19 mostly related to travel and local transmission from imported cases to their immediate contacts. Community transmission of the disease has not been documented till now.

Revealing about the testing strategy for COVID19 in Punjab, Mr. Sidhu said that apart from international traveler, symptomatic contacts of laboratory confirmed cases and symptomatic health care workers, Pregnant woman residing in cluster/containment area or in a large migration gathering centers from hot spot districts representing labor or likely to deliver in next 5 days even a asymptomatic has to be tested.  He said that all patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (fever and cough and/or shortness of breath), asymptomatic direct and high-risk contacts of a confirmed case would have to undergo through testing once between day 5 and day 14 of coming in his/her contact.

The Minister also instructed the Civil Surgeons to keep a close watch on quarantined persons and personally monitor the functioning of Rapid Response teams to ensure the maximum visits at their home and at quarantine centres. He said that in order to ensure the cent-percent compliance of guidelines, quarantined person must active COVA app on his/her mobile (available at android play store & apple play store) & it also remains active at all times (through Bluetooth or wi-fi) to keep a watch on his/her activities.

The Minister said that the State Government has already made mandatory all those coming to the state, including via domestic flights, trains and buses, would have to undergo compulsory home quarantine for 14 days. He said that Total 531 RRTs have been constituted in the State. Main job is contact tracing, identify suspects and refer them for testing, ensuring home quarantine, creating awareness about prevention from COVID counseling of home quarantined persons. They also attend to calls received at 104 regarding symptomatic persons and screen them and refer for testing.

He said that about 1, 57, 13, 789 persons have been screened by teams of Health department in the month of April, 2020 and Flu corners have been established in all government hospitals where samples of suspected patients are being taken on routine basis.

Have something to say? Post your comment