Health Ministry Flags Dip In Covid Testing, Asks States To Increase It

Coronavirus Cases in India: The Health Ministry said testing remained a key and crucial component. The basic objective remained early detection of Covid cases for quick isolation and care, it said.

A woman tests for Covid-19 in Jammu (PTI)

New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry has flagged a decline in Covid-19 testing in several states and Union Territories and asked them to enhance it in a strategic manner keeping in view the trend of case positivity in specific areas.

"In order to ensure that an effective track of the spread of the pandemic is kept and immediate citizen-centric action is initiated, it is incumbent upon all states/UTs to enhance testing," additional secretary in the Union Health Ministry Arti Ahuja said in a letter to states.

Ministry of Health & Family Welfare asks all States/UTs "to immediately increase testing in a strategic manner keeping in view the trend of case positivity in specific areas in the States/UTs" pic.twitter.com/oHSf8B0Efy

— ANI (@ANI) January 18, 2022

In the letter, the Centre stressed that the Omicron variant of the coronavirus was currently spreading across the country.

The ministry said testing remained a key and crucial component. "However, it is seen from the data available on the ICMR portal that testing has declined in many states and union territories," the letter said.

The ministry said the basic objective remained early detection of Covid cases for quick isolation and care.

"Testing remains a key strategy for pandemic management as it helps in identification of new clusters and new hotspots of infection which can in turn facilitate immediate action for containment such as setting up of containment zones, contact tracing, quarantining, isolation and follow-up," the letter said.

The ministry said this would aid the state and district administrations to curb the spread of Covid and ensure reduction in mortality and morbidity.

"Progression of disease to a severe category can be averted by strategic testing of those who are at high risk and more vulnerable, as well as in areas where the spread is likely to be higher," the letter said.

The ministry said in community settings, all those who are symptomatic must be tested and all at-risk contacts of laboratory confirmed cases must also be tested.

"Strategic and focused testing should be done of people who are vulnerable, living in closed surroundings, in densely populated areas in emerging new clusters and new hotspots of positive cases, etc.," the ministry said.

India registered 2,38,018 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday. The active cases have increased to 17,36,628, the highest in 230 days, while the death toll has climbed to 4,86,761 with 310 fresh fatalities.