Udupi to increase Covid testing
Udupi, Nov 28, 2021: Udupi DC Kurma Rao has said that the district will take all the precautionary measures to prevent the spread of Covid and its variant.
In the last two days, the state government has issued several circulars and advisories to prevent the spread of the Covid variant.
“As per the new guidelines of the government, the daily Covid test target in Udupi district has been revised from 3000 to 4000. The process of testing the patients with symptoms, ILI and SARI, primary and secondary contacts of the infected, and individuals with a high-risk group will continue. The number of testings will also be increased,” the DC said.
Of the total target, 50 percent will be tested at the district headquarters and the remaining 50 in rural areas. Of the total testing, 10 percent should be children. As per the ICMR guidelines, all the symptomatic persons should first undergo Rapid Antigen Test (RAT), and if found negative they will undergo RTPCR. RAT should not be performed for those who are asymptomatic.
As the Covid mutant variant is found in South Africa, Botswana, and Hong Kong, the Karnataka government has issued the following measures to ensure that foreign travelers are inspected.
Passengers arriving from South Africa, Botswana, and Hong Kong must undergo an RTPCR test and be allowed to leave the airport only after the negative report. Travelers arriving from these three countries for the past 15 days must be identified and subjected to RTPCR testing. Travelers who are infected with Covid must be subject to mandatory institutional isolation for 10 days. Positive test specimens must be tested for genomic sequencing immediately. All passengers from abroad must undergo the test.
