Telangana to double Covid testing

Move vital for State to contain the spread of virus, says Chief Secretary

Hyderabad: Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar on Tuesday directed district Collectors and senior health officials to double the number of daily Covid tests which will go a long way in identifying a large number of Covid positive patients quickly and reduce morbidity and mortality.

In a video conference with District Collectors and senior health officials which lasted for over two hours, the Chief Secretary pointed out that doubling of the testing was vital for Telangana to contain the spread of the Covid infections.

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The Collectors were told to ensure that the pace of testing does not come down on weekends and holidays and that all testing centres work on all days of the week. Somesh Kumar directed officials to ensure the use of a new testing app for meticulous contact tracing of every positive person and their subsequent testing.

In line with the testing guidelines of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), authorities must ensure all symptomatic persons found negative in rapid antigen tests undergo RT-PCR tests too. Somesh Kumar said that on-the-spot assessment and counselling of all Covid positive persons by doctors at the testing location must be given. Those who test positive during the testing and advised home isolation must receive a kit of essential medicines and their medical condition must be monitored through home visits or tele-calling, he said.

On administration of vaccines, Somesh Kumar directed officials to ramp up the pace of Covid vaccination. Daily, the Primary Health Centres (PHC) must administer 100 vaccine doses, Areas Hospitals and Community Health Centres must administer 200 doses, and District Hospitals at least 300 doses. The health officials must ensure at least 1.25 lakh individuals are vaccinated daily from the present 50,000 mark, he said.

In the video conference, Somesh Kumar also directed Collectors to ensure implementation of mandatory use of masks in public areas and prohibiting religious gatherings and processions.

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