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NEW DELHI: the ability to test for COVID-19 It has been expanded to around 95,000 tests per day and a total of 15,25,631 tests have been performed so far in 332 government laboratories and 121 private, Union Health Minister Harard Vardhan he said Saturday.
The minister, who reviewed the status of Covid-19 in the northeastern states along with the measures taken for its containment and management, also emphasized the need to take concrete measures to control tobacco use by non-smokers and ban spitting in public places. which will help prevent the spread of the infection, according to a statement.
During the high-level meeting with Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim, Vardhan appreciated the dedication of all states in the fight against Covid-19.
“It is a great relief and very encouraging to see green zones in most of the northeast states. To date, only Assam and Tripura have active cases of Covid-19. Other states are all in the green zone. Let’s focus and work together by converting orange zones to green zones and maintain protection status in all states, “Vardhan said in the statement.
He noted the high prevalence of tobacco use by non-smokers in some of the states and the problem of spitting in public places.
“Firm reforms are needed in this direction,” said Vardhan, while appreciating the efforts of states that have banned the use of chewing tobacco and have imposed fines for spitting in public places.
During the detailed interaction, states highlighted several issues related to test facilities, health infrastructure, surveillance, contact tracking, etc. They also shared their best practices, according to the statement.
Vardhan said: “The testing capacity has increased in the country and is 95,000 tests per day with 332 government laboratories and 121 private laboratories. Cumulatively, so far 15,25,631 tests have been performed for Covid-19.”
Tripura has reported 118 cases, Assam 59, Meghalaya 12 cases, Manipur two, while Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh have reported one case until Saturday at 8 in the morning.
Meghalaya and Assam have also reported one death each so far.
To maintain the positive state of Covid-19’s management in the Northeast, the Union Minister advised them to ensure that returning migrant workers, students, and students from abroad are screened and quarantined according to guidelines and the protocol established by the ministries of health and External Affairs, said the statement.
For states with international borders, the minister stated that they must take appropriate measures in border areas to avoid exposure by conducting checks on all people at entry points and following the quarantine protocol according to the guidelines, he said.
Vardhan said that while some states have worked in this direction, others need to focus on more effective surveillance, contact tracing, a house-to-house survey and early diagnosis.
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