Ministry puts dentists in high-risk category

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 19

The government today issued guidelines to prevent the spread of the virus in workplace settings saying there was no need to shut down entire offices if one or two cases are reported.

Offices need to be closed for disinfection only if large cluster cases are detected and should reopen once the public health authorities declare the building fit for reoccupation.

The Health Ministry today also placed dentists in the high-risk category for Covid suspending all dental examinations under the national cancer screening plan.

For private workplaces, the ministry guidelines say the working staff with flu symptoms should not attend office and those requesting home quarantine based on the containment zone activities in their residential areas should be permitted to work from home.

It said, “Dentists, auxiliaries and patients undergoing dental procedures are at high risk of cross-infection.” Guidelines say dental clinics will remain closed in the containment zones where tele-services are permitted.

In the red zone, only emergency dental procedures can be performed. The dental clinics in orange and green zones will provide dental consults only and dental operations will be restricted to urgent procedures.

Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said India had taken the longest time of 64 days to move from 100 cases to 1 lakh. The US took 25 days, UK 42 and Italy 36. In terms of case mortality per lakh population, India has so far about 0.2 deaths per lakh population as against the world average of 4.1.