Day after hotspot tag, Chandigarh to accelerate Covid testing

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 16

A day after the Centre declared the city a coronavirus hotspot, testing will be accelerated for prevention, containment and management of Covid-19.

As per the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) guidelines for hotspot districts, testing for any cases of influenza-like illness such as fever, cough sore throat, running nose and severe acute respiratory illness will be done.

Testing facility to come up at PU

Chandigarh: Panjab University has been identified as one of the Covid testing centres by the Government of India in order to scale up the testing capacity. The venture will be set up in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, SAS Nagar, and the Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh. Various scientists of Panjab University will be part of the project. TNS

Arun Kumar Gupta, Principal Secretary, Health, said, “The Centre considers total number of positive cases and not the number of recovered patients. The UT has 21 positive cases till date. So, it’s one of the 170 districts of the country which have contributed to 80 per cent of the total cases of the country. Districts were arranged in descending order on the basis of number of positive cases. So, these 170 districts are all hotspot districts.”

“Chandigarh is a fully urban area and full city or town in the urban areas are to be containment zone, as per guidelines of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,” he added.

During the daily review meeting, UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore was informed that the testing has to be accelerated and restrictions will be implemented strictly. However, the Administrator focused on the need for downloading Aarogya Setu app by all government officials and public in general.

In a discussion with the Director, PGIMER, and chiefs of medical institutions, the Administrator advised them to explore the possibility of procuring/utilising rapid testing facility as per the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) guidelines.

Adviser Manoj Parida mentioned that he had discussed with the Punjab and Haryana governments to run their offices in Chandigarh with the minimal staff, since the entire city had been declared a coronavirus hotspot and was under curfew.

The Administrator directed DGP Sanjay Beniwal to intensify checking at city borders and ensure that only pass-holders and authorised persons are allowed to enter the city.

“We have ensured that there is complete checking at borders. We check every person if he has curfew pass or not. We are also using thermal scanners to screen people entering our borders and ensuring that no person with any symptom enters the city,” said Parida.

Deputy Commissioner Mandip Singh Brar said 64,105 food packets have been distributed among the destitute and needy in various parts of the city. The mid-day meal facilities in UT schools for preparing food packets have also been activated today.

The Administrator directed the DC that there was no shortage of packed food for the poor and the distribution should be done in a fair manner.

Finance Secretary AK Sinha said the last date for payment of electricity and water bills has been extended and those willing to pay the bills can do it online by downloading the application.