Govt scales up testing in containment zones

The Delhi authorities has issued contemporary pointers below which residents of containment zones who’re recognized as contacts of Covid-19 circumstances, folks with influenza-like signs, and high-risk people will probably be examined thrice via fast antigen kits inside 15 days of sealing an space, senior authorities officers mentioned on Friday.

The order, issued by the director-general of well being providers, and which has been reviewed by HT, mentioned that the identical set of individuals, all of whom will probably be recognized through the formation of a containment zone, will probably be screened and examined between the primary and third day of sealing an space, then once more between the fifth and seventh day, and, lastly, as soon as once more, between the 13th and 15th day.

“Their health records will be saved in a database and they shall be asked to visit the nearest antigen test centres. The objective of the strategy is to get a better picture in terms of local transmission so that the government’s ongoing testing efforts can be enhanced for better accuracy,” mentioned a senior authorities official who didn’t want to be recognized.

High-risk people embrace folks aged above 60 years, pregnant ladies, these with extreme acute respiratory diseases and people with comorbidities, mentioned well being division officers.

Dr Lalit Kant, former Head, Division of Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases, Indian Council of Medical Research mentioned, “By employing this strategy it will be possible to test as many people as possible who may have come in contact with the infected individual in the entire period in which they are capable of infecting others. By tracking, testing, and treating these people, it will allow early detection of disease thereby limiting further spread of the infection.”

Jugal Kishore, head of the neighborhood medicines division in Safdarjung Hospital, mentioned: “Such a strategy can help the government in assessing the prevalence of the disease and get a better picture concerning local transmission so that testing drives in future can be better strategised for more accuracy.”

The new pointers got here even because the variety of containment zones within the Capital rose from 458 to 563 between Wednesday and Friday, with a number of present ones being break up , authorities information confirmed. This transfer is part of the federal government’s new delineation technique for containment zones below which Covid-19 clusters are recognized inside present containment zones and they’re divided into a number of items of no-go zones.

The first spherical of the delineation technique was carried out between June 26 and 28, and the variety of containment zones within the metropolis rose from 280 to 421. “The strategy has two objectives. First, fewer people remain in containment zones. It is a matter of inconvenience and the government acknowledges that. Second, smaller containment units allow for stronger and more focused surveillance efforts,” mentioned an official within the income division who requested to not be named.

Containment zones in Hari Nagar, Tilak Vihar, Badarpur, Sangam Vihar, Meet Nagar, GTB Nagar, Jahangirpuri, Mahendru Enclave, Alipur, Malkaganj and Pratap Nagar are amongst these which have been break up below the federal government’s new delineation technique.

Kishore mentioned, “However, it’s excessive time that the Delhi authorities revisits its total containment coverage. Now that numerous persons are apparently adhering to residence isolation norms on being identified Covid-19 positive, the federal government could restrict its coverage to areas the place it’s completely needed.